Boeing's Starliner spacecraft recently completed a significant test flight, returning to Earth after several months in space, but notably without astronauts aboard.
The spacecraft, which had been in orbit with astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore since June 2024, undocked from the International Space Station on September 6, 2024.
Due to a series of technical issues—including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions—NASA and Boeing decided it was safer to keep the astronauts on the ISS until a later time.
Originally, Starliner was expected to bring the astronauts back within days, but after an assessment of the vehicle’s condition
NASA opted to send a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to bring Williams and Wilmore home by February 2025.
The Starliner capsule’s journey was a test flight to demonstrate its capabilities, and while it returned to Earth successfully, it will undergo further evaluation before it can be certified for future crewed missions
The spacecraft, which had been in orbit with astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore since June 2024, undocked from the International Space Station on September 6, 2024.