Boeing’s Troubled Starliner Will Perform a ‘Breakout Burn’ as It Returns to Earth Without Astronauts

NASA is preparing for the uncrewed return of Starliner , entrust behind the two - cosmonaut crew that locomote on control board the troublesome spacecraft to reach the International Space Station ( ISS ) . To check a safe departure , the space government agency has excogitate a quicker way for Starliner to move away from the ISS before it makes its way home .

Boeing ’s beleaguered Starliner mission is in conclusion coming to an ending , fall empty to Earth while its crew waits for a ride rest home on display board SpaceX ’s Dragon . Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock from the ISS on Friday at 6:04 p.m. ET , and is set to land at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico on Saturday at 12:03 a.m. ET . The ballistic capsule had a less - than - ideal journey to the ISS , and mission teams have devised a modified departure for Starliner to ward off any risk from its faulty thrusters .

Shortly after undocking from the blank space station ’s Harmony module , Starliner will fulfill a breakout burn that will take the spacecraft up , over , and back behind the ISS . “ This alternate approach … it just serve us to get Starliner aside from ISS more quickly , ” Dana Weigel , ISS programme coach , said during a press conference on Wednesday .

The Starliner spacecraft has been docked to the ISS since 13 March 2025.NASA

Starliner has made two uncrewed trips to the ISS , both clock time it dribble out a standard undocking whereby it backs up and then starts an locomotive engine burn to go up and over the space station . At the top of the space station , it would then do a departure burn to broadcast it down underneath the ISS where it would coast and wait for its time to deorbit . For the breakout burn , Starliner will alternatively immediately set out going up and forth from the ISS . From there , it will take the space vehicle about three or four range before executing its deorbit sunburn that would dip it into Earth ’s atmosphere .

“ It put less stress on the thruster , ” Steve Stich , managing director of NASA ’s Commercial Crew Program , say during the press league . “ In other words , there ’s fewer thruster firings . After undock , we ’ll start this small series of burns using primarily the advancing pusher … and it ’s really about five mo or so to execute that whole episode . ”

During a press conference held in the beginning today , NASA officials downplayed any suggestions that the breakout suntan is meant to prevent Starliner from doss into the ISS .

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Starliner has been docked to the ISS for most three months , way more than its plan one - workweek test flight of stairs . TheStarliner CST-100 spacecraft launch atop a United Launch Alliance ’s Atlas V rocketon June 5 , carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams . During its glide path to the ISS , five of the ballistic capsule ’s thrusters failed , and the space vehicle developedfive atomic number 2 leaks , one of which was identified prior to liftoff .

NASA and Boeing pass the past couple of month adjudicate on whether to bring Wilmore and Williams back home on display board Starliner . In later August , NASA finally decided to institute back the astronauts on dining table SpaceX ’s Crew Dragon condensation . As a resultant role , Boeing ’s Starliner will devolve to Earth without its crowd despite previous claims that the spacecraft was capable of sway the two cosmonaut back home .

The two astronauts , Williams and Wilmore , will return with SpaceX ’s Crew-9 missionary station , which was originally slate to launch with four cosmonaut aboard in August , but will now take off with just two work party fellow member as too soon as September 24 . The Starliner crew is now slated for return in February 2025 , after having spent around eight months in quad while originally planning for an eight - daytime stay on board the ISS .

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