7 months, 1 week ago

Boeing’s troubled capsule returns to Earth safely, but empty

The empty Boeing Starliner capsule sits at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico late Friday after undocking from the International Space Station. Boeing’s first astronaut mission ended Friday night with an empty capsule landing and two test pilots still in space, left behind until next year because NASA judged their return too risky. Six hours after departing the International Space Station, Starliner parachuted into New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range, descending on autopilot through the desert darkness. There were some snags during reentry, including more thruster issues, but Starliner made a “bull’s-eye landing,” said NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich.

LA Times

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