Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft successfully landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico on September 7, 2024, after an uncrewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft undocked from the ISS on September 6 and touched down approximately six hours later.
The mission, part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, aimed to test the spacecraft's capabilities. However, safety concerns led to the decision to return Starliner without its two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will remain on the ISS until February 2025.
Key Highlights
- Starliner landed safely using parachutes, despite two thrusters overheating during the deorbit burn
- NASA and Boeing will now focus on addressing issues that arose during the mission, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks
- The next planned mission, Starliner-1, has been delayed to at least August 2025
Starliner's Development
Starliner is designed to transport crew to and from the ISS and other low-Earth-orbit destinations. Developed by Boeing under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, it consists of a reusable crew capsule and an expendable service module.
Selected by NASA in 2014, Boeing received a fixed-price contract worth US$4.2 billion to develop Starliner, while SpaceX received $2.6 billion to develop Crew Dragon. Despite receiving significantly more funding, Boeing has faced substantial budget overruns, exceeding $1.5 billion.
The Road Ahead
NASA and Boeing will review all mission-related data from the Starliner's return to Earth. The agency looks forward to continuing its work with Boeing to proceed toward certification of Starliner for crew rotation missions to the space station.
The successful landing marks an important milestone for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the ISS and low-Earth orbit.
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