NASA is set to provide live coverage of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft as it departs the International Space Station (ISS) and returns to Earth this weekend.
The Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock from the ISS around 6:04 p.m. EDT on September 6.
NASA will stream the event live on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
NASA is set to provide live coverage of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft as it departs the International Space Station (ISS) and returns to Earth this weekend. Initially, the Starliner was supposed to bring astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back home. However, due to technical issues, the spacecraft will now return uncrewed.
The Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock from the ISS around 6:04 PM EDT on September 6. After undocking, it will begin its journey back to Earth, aiming for a landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at approximately 12:03 PM EDT on September 7. NASA will stream the event live on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
Also read: Boeing Starliner returning uncrewed, NASA turns to SpaceX to bring astronauts home in Feb
Williams and Wilmore launched aboard the Starliner on June 5 for what was originally planned as an eight-day mission. However, due to issues with the spacecraft’s thrusters and helium systems, their stay on the ISS was extended. These issues led NASA and Boeing to decide that Starliner should return to Earth without the crew to ensure safety and gather more data for further testing.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson earlier emphasised the importance of safety in making this decision. “Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star,” Nelson said.
Also read: Sunita Williams is stuck in space, but her husband says it’s her ‘happy place’
Williams and Wilmore will continue their mission on the ISS as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew until February 2025. They will eventually return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which is part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission scheduled to launch in late September.
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