Boeing has launched its troubled Starliner capsule from the International Space Station, leaving its two astronauts stranded behind.
The capsule from the crashed plane departed the ISS with empty seats on Friday night and is aiming to land at New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range about six hours later.
Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were initially planned to launch on Starliner just a week after its June launch, but problems with the capsule’s thrusters have delayed their return until at least February 2025.
While Boeing claimed the Starliner was safe for astronauts, NASA found faulty thrusters and helium leaks too dangerous, so it hired Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring them home.
Boeing has launched its trouble-plagued Starliner capsule from the International Space Station, leaving its two astronauts stranded behind
The capsule, seen in a NASA livestream Friday night, suffered problems with its thrusters and helium leaks.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were originally scheduled to launch on Starliner, but problems with the capsule’s thrusters have delayed their return until at least February 2025.
As Starliner prepared to return to Earth, NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said the agency was “excited” about its return.
But the episode was another setback for Boeing after the company’s passenger jet came under scrutiny following a series of failures and problems on its planes, including a cockpit door that exploded in mid-flight at 16,000 feet in January.
Although Wilmore and Williams were only scheduled to spend a week in orbit, they are now scheduled to remain in the ISS laboratory for at least the next five months.
On Thursday, the stranded duo closed the hatch between the Starliner and the ISS for good, as they prepared to watch the shuttle they launched from depart without them.
They are now considered full-time station crew members along with the seven others on board, helping with experiments and maintenance, and increasing their exercise to keep their bones and muscles strong during their prolonged exposure to weightlessness.
