Starliner switched to autonomous mode and undocked from the house station at 6:04 pm Japanese Time (2204 GMT) at this time, and landed at White Sands Area Harbor in New Mexico after making its harmful plunge again into the thick of Earth’s ambiance.
After re-entering the Earth’s ambiance, parachutes have been used to gradual its descent to land.
Whereas on its approach again to Earth, the Starliner capsule, the portion that may maintain astronauts throughout routine journeys residence from house, jettisoned its service module.
NASA determined it was too dangerous to convey Williams and Wilmore again as a consequence of a number of technical points with the Starliner. Throughout its mission, the spacecraft skilled malfunctions with 5 of its 28 thrusters and detected leaks within the propulsion system. These issues have been vital sufficient for NASA to postpone the astronauts’ return.
The Starliner had initially launched in June with Williams and Wilmore as its first crew. Nevertheless, technical difficulties have led to the choice to maintain them on the ISS till February 2025. In the meantime, the capsule’s return marked a key second for Boeing, which can now concentrate on resolving the problems recognized in the course of the mission.
Boeing will retrieve the spacecraft for additional investigation to deal with the malfunctions and proceed improvement.
