Boeing Starliner capsule departs from space station, leaving its 2 astronauts behind for months
CBC
After months of turmoil over its safety, Boeing's new astronaut capsule departed the International Space Station on Friday without its crew and headed back to Earth.
NASA's two test pilots stayed behind at the space station — their home until next several months — as the Starliner capsule undocked 420 kilometres over China, springs gently pushing it away from the orbiting laboratory.
The return flight was expected to take six hours, with a nighttime touchdown in the New Mexico desert.
"She's on her way home," astronaut Suni Williams radioed after Starliner exited.
Williams and Butch Wilmore should have flown Starliner back to Earth in June, a week after launching in it.
But thruster failures and helium leaks marred their ride to the space station. NASA ultimately decided it was too risky to return the duo on Starliner.
The fully automated capsule left with their empty seats and blue spacesuits along with some old station equipment.
SpaceX will bring the duo back in late February, stretching their original eight-day mission to more than eight months.
The Dragon capsule will launch on the half-year expedition with only two astronauts since two seats are reserved for Wilmore and Williams for the return leg.
Boeing's first astronaut flight caps a journey filled with delays and setbacks.
After the space shuttles retired more than a decade ago, NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX for orbital taxi service.
Boeing ran into so many problems on its first test flight with no one aboard in 2019 that it had to repeat it.
The 2022 do-over uncovered even more flaws and the repair bill topped $1 billion US. SpaceX's crew ferry flight later this month will be its 10th for NASA since 2020.
Even before the pair launched on June 5, Starliner's propulsion system was leaking helium.
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