NASA Announces Boeing Starliner Undocking and Return to Earth on June 22

June 15 :
According to NASA's announcement on June 14, the Boeing Starliner spacecraft will now undock from the International Space Station and return to Earth on June 22. This extra time will allow for more thorough planning of the complex procedure. Despite four helium leaks and five failures of its 28 manoeuvring thrusters, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams landed to the ISS the following day after being launched on Starliner on June 5.

According to NASA and Boeing, the additional time will allow the team to complete departure planning and operations. Additionally, the spacecraft will still be able to handle crew emergency return scenarios in accordance with flight standards.

They are aiming to leave the ISS no sooner than June 22, which could lead to additional extensions of stay. Though planned for six-month flights in the future, Starliner can only spend a maximum of 45 days docked to the ISS during its present mission. A site in the Utah desert, New Mexico, or another backup site will be the intended destination for the six-hour return to Earth, though this may change based on local weather conditions.

The first crewed flight of the Starliner is the final and most important test of the spacecraft before NASA can approve it for regular astronaut trips and add a second U.S. crew vehicle to its fleet, joining SpaceX's Crew Dragon. The programme has been significantly delayed and overbudget.

While attached to the ISS, the spacecraft has experienced an increase in issues. In addition to an oxidizer valve becoming blocked, NASA has reported a fifth helium leak, which is utilised to pressurise the thrusters of the Starliner's propulsion system.

These in-flight troubles are the latest in a long line of problems that Boeing has had with Starliner. In 2019, for example, the uncrewed test failed due to a combination of software errors, design flaws, and management issues, which prevented the plane from docking with the International Space Station. A rerun of the unmanned test in 2022 docked successfully. Boeing still has more obstacles to overcome before the Starliner can be operational and sold to clients outside of NASA, even if the return of the two men to Earth goes according to plan.