NASA Set to Bring Starliner Back, But Will Leave Crew in Space as Boeing Drama Gets Even Worse

NASA has revealed the return date for Boeing's problematic Starliner spacecraft.

Originally intended to transport crews to and from the International Space Station (ISS), the Starliner has not performed as expected. During its first mission, helium leaks created significant uncertainty for weeks concerning the spacecraft and its crew, which launched in June.

On Thursday, NASA stated that "pending weather and operational readiness," the Starliner is set to detach from the ISS around 6 p.m. ET on September 6, as reported by USA Today.

The anticipated six-hour journey would see the Starliner touching down early on September 7 at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

The spacecraft will return without any crew onboard. NASA confirmed that the Starliner had previously completed an autonomous landing in a test scenario.

“Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States,” the agency explained.

On August 24, NASA shared that astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, who were initially supposed to return on the Starliner, will remain stationed in space until the next year, according to the Associated Press.

Wilmore and Williams reached the ISS in June on what was planned as an eight-day mission. However, significant technical difficulties during their mission resulted in an extended stay on the ISS.

NASA later confirmed that the astronauts will return in February via a SpaceX flight, as no earlier flight could accommodate the two additional crew members.

“All of us really wanted to complete the [Boeing Starliner] test flight with crew, and I think unanimously we’re disappointed not to be able to do that,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate, as noted by CNN.

However, he added, "you don’t want that disappointment to weigh unhealthily in your decision."

Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, mentioned that discussions between NASA and Boeing about bringing the astronauts back on the Starliner involved “a little disagreement about risk,” as reported by the New York Post.

Boeing has incurred approximately $1.5 billion in cost overruns on the $4.5 billion contract for the Starliner's development.

This situation could lead to a critical decision about the project's future, as Bloomberg highlighted, pointing out that Boeing's new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, might consider terminating the venture.

“Do they ultimately exit the program because it’s too complicated and because the other guy can do it better? It can happen,” said Robert Spingarn, an analyst with Melius Research.