Tech Desk
Aug 31, 2024
NASA is preparing for another flight of the Starliner spacecraft, which stands at the threshold of a record first crewed flight sans astronauts. The return to Earth will come during a crucial mission in the development and operational testing of the Starliner spacecraft built to carry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA reported that the Starliner would leave the ISS on September 6. If the weather and the technical problems didn't appear, the aircraft would land in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, after six hours of its launch.
The flight is a critical mission towards certification for Starliner future crewed missions. Although designed to carry astronauts, NASA decided to take no chances this time around and brought the spacecraft home uncrewed.
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NASA opted for caution, having an uncrewed return to priorities in the safety of astronauts. Instead, astronauts Williams and Wilmore will be sent back to Earth next February in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The decision has underlined how seriously NASA views its no-compromise policy on safety and comprehensive testing during its forays into space.
Williams and Wilmore were to return to Earth next year in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. However, NASA reassigned the two, due to technical risks and safety concerns, to fly back next February in a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
It was that change in plans that guaranteed to ensure their safe return; now, the Starliner will undertake its first crewed flight without astronauts on board but will instead test its systems and capabilities in an uncrewed configuration.
