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VideoStarliner lands safely in New Mexico
Despite NASA's concerns about earlier thruster problems and multiple helium leaks in the ship's propulsion pressurization system, the Starliner had no trouble undocking and moving away from the station at 6:04 p.m. EDT and executing a critical 59-second deorbit braking maneuver at 11:17 p.m. to drop out of orbit.
VideoAs it happened: Boeing’s Starliner returned to Earth, marking the end of the Crew Flight Test mission
The spacecraft will journey back to Earth without the two astronauts it launched with back on June 5. Undocking is set for 6:04 p.m. EDT (2204 UTC) with landing just after midnight on Saturday.
Make-or-break tests on tap for Boeing’s Starliner capsule
Critical tests are on tap this weekend to confirm Boeing's Starliner capsule can safety carry its two-person crew back to Earth despite unexpected helium leaks and degraded maneuvering thrusters, officials said Thursday.
VideoAs it happened: NASA, Boeing provide update on the Starliner Crew Flight Test mission
The update comes after NASA said it and Boeing completed ground hot fire testing of a reaction control system (RCS) to better understand some of the in-flight anomalies seen during the spacecraft's rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.
Starliner landing now on indefinite hold for more tests, but NASA insists crew not ‘stranded’ in space
The problem for NASA and Boeing is that the Starliner's service module, which houses the helium lines, thrusters and other critical systems, is discarded before re-entry and burns up in the atmosphere. Engineers will not be able to study the hardware after the fact and as a result, they want to collect as much data as possible before NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams head home.
NASA again delays Starliner undocking, return to Earth
NASA and Boeing managers have again decided to extend the Starliner crew capsule's stay at the International Space Station, passing up a June 26 re-entry to allow more time for analysis and testing to make sure helium leaks and thruster failures are fully understood, officials said late Friday.
VideoThird time’s the charm for the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test
The launch of two NASA astronauts dealt with two previous scrubs due to a valve issue on the Atlas 5 rocket and then a ground system issue at the launchpad. Liftoff happened at 10:52 a.m. EDT (1452 UTC) on Wednesday, June 5.
VideoAtlas 5 valve repair will delay Starliner’s first crewed mission to May 17 at the earliest
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is set to roll its Atlas 5 rocket and the Starliner spacecraft back to the Vertical Integration Facility on Wednesday to begin working on the problematic valve. The new launch date is no earlier than Friday, May 17, at 6:16 p.m. EDT (2016 UTC).
NASA astronauts arrive at Kennedy Space Center ahead of Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the Cape in T-38 jets, the first such arrival since the space shuttle era. The mission is aiming to launch on Monday, May 6, at 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 UTC).
VideoBoeing, ULA roll Starliner spacecraft out to pad 41 ahead of Crew Flight Test launch in May
The rollout operation on Tuesday followed a day of evaluations using Boeing’s weight and center-of-gravity machine to determine the final measurements on the spacecraft. Launch is still targeting May 6 at 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 UTC).