NASA Delays Starliner Undocking to Sept. 6

NASA will proceed with the undocking of the uncrewed Boeing Starliner capsule not before Sept. 6, the space agency said after concluding a review.

Last week, the space agency said its two astronauts who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Starliner in June will return to Earth on a SpaceX vehicle early next year.

Starliner's propulsion system issues were deemed too risky for crewed return after the capsule experienced a series of glitches within the first 24 hours of its flight to the ISS.

The journey back to Earth for the Starliner is expected to take approximately six hours from undocking to landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, NASA said in a blog post.

Ground teams will remotely guide the spacecraft through necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry and parachute-assisted landing in southwestern United States.

Starliner has previously completed a successful uncrewed entry and landing during two orbital flight tests, the agency said.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner will depart from the International Space Station Sept. 6, ending a three-month flight that saw the spacecraft unable to demonstrate its ability to safely return astronauts from orbit.

NASA officials had previously identified Sept. 6 as a potential departure date for Starliner. An ISS trajectory file posted earlier this week included both the Sept. 6 date and time for Starliner’s departure.

If NASA and Boeing hold to that schedule, Starliner will undock exactly three months after arriving at the ISS on the Crew Flight Test mission with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board. While the docking was successful, the spacecraft suffered additional helium leaks after launch the day before as well as problems with five reaction control system thrusters.

Starliner was to remain at the ISS for as little as eight days before returning to Earth with Williams and Wilmore on board.