Boeing's Starliner returns to Earth from the ISS without Sunita Williams

Washington, DC [US]September 6 (ANI): Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to detach from the orbiting International Space Station on Friday (local time) and return to Earth without astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Williams, the US space agency NASA said.

The unscrewed spacecraft is scheduled to land at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico on Saturday (local time).

NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams launched on their first manned flight aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5 and arrived at the space station on June 6. The two astronauts were expected to return on the same flight.

As Starliner approached the orbiting laboratory, NASA and Boeing discovered helium leaks and had problems with the spacecraft's reaction control thrusters.

To ensure the safety of the astronauts, NASA announced on August 24 that the Starliner would return to Earth from the station without a crew.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finished loading the Starliner with cargo and preparing the cabin for its return. The duo closed the Starliner's hatch for the last time on Thursday afternoon, preparing the spacecraft for its unmanned departure, NASA said.

Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the International Space Station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

“Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock from the space station at approximately 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 6, to begin the journey home, weather permitting. NASA and Boeing are targeting approximately 12:03 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, for landing and completion of flight test,” NASA said.

SpaceX and Boeing are the two commercial providers contracted by NASA to send astronauts to the ISS on American launches.

Williams and Wilmore are not expected to use NASA's next SpaceX astronaut mission, the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch for a six-month ISS mission later this month.

To make room for the Boeing Starliner astronauts currently on the ISS, Crew 9's Crew Dragon will launch from Earth with only two astronauts instead of the planned four. (ANI)