Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has finished its Group Gliding Check (CFT) undertaking, touchdown safely at White Sands Missile Dimension, Pristine Mexico, on September 7, 2024. Then greater than 3 months in area, the uncrewed pill returned with a a hit parachute-assisted touchdown at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT). This marked the tip of a undertaking to begin with deliberate for simply ten days, however delays arose because of thruster problems skilled because the pill neared the World Territory Station (ISS). Even if refuse astronauts have been on board, NASA showed that they’d were unhurt if that they had been.
Secure Touchdown In spite of Demanding situations
NASA’s Steve Stich, supervisor of the Business Group Program, defined right through a press convention that Starliner’s descent adopted the deliberate process. The spacecraft carried out its deorbit burn, re-entry, and touchdown as designed. According to Stich, even with workforce enroute, the touchdown would were similarly shield, regardless of the surprising issues right through the undertaking. Boeing and NASA have spent the year 3 months at White Sands appearing assessments to grasp the thruster malfunction, which behind schedule Starliner’s go back.
Astronaut Reassignment and Starliner’s Week
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, to begin with a part of the undertaking, needed to be reassigned. They have been initially scheduled to go back later ten days however will now keep at the ISS for ten months. Wilmore and Williams will go back to Earth on SpaceX’s Group Dragon in February 2025, later Group-9’s rotation.
The generation of Starliner’s operations left-overs unsure, with plans for its workforce shipping missions to the ISS now behind schedule till a minimum of August 2025. Boeing’s Business Group Program vice chairman, Mark Nappi, showed that the information from this undertaking can be reviewed to come to a decision the after steps for the spacecraft.
