Sunita Williams's Starliner becomes only spacecraft to launch with crew, land empty
In an unprecedented turn of events, Boeing's damaged Starliner spacecraft became the first vehicle in spaceflight history to launch with a crew but return to Earth without them as it landed safely on Saturday. The Starliner, part of Nasa's Commercial Crew Program, launched on June 5, 2024, carrying Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station. pic.twitter.com/Rq34pzquJ7 — NASA Commercial Crew September 7, 2024 However, shortly after docking with the ISS, engineers discovered several technical issues with the Starliner, including helium leaks and problems with the reaction control thrusters. Nasa's Steve Stich, manager of the Commercial Crew Program, expressed confidence in the vehicle's ability to return autonomously, citing two previous successful uncrewed landings.
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