Starliner Mission Faces Major Setbacks After Launch
In June 2024, what was supposed to be a routine mission for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft quickly turned into a high-stakes situation. Shortly after launching for its eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Starliner began experiencing significant technical problems. Helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters made maneuvering the spacecraft incredibly challenging—a serious issue when navigating in space. Despite these difficulties, Starliner successfully docked at the ISS, though the celebration was short-lived. Once at the ISS, it became evident that the spacecraft’s technical issues were far from resolved, despite the engineers’ best efforts to diagnose and repair the problems.
NASA’s Decision: Starliner Returns Empty, Astronauts Await SpaceX Rescue
After weeks of attempting to address Starliner’s problems, NASA made the difficult decision to have the spacecraft return to Earth without its intended crew of astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. With the spacecraft deemed too unreliable for a crewed re-entry, NASA opted to leave the astronauts on the ISS until February 2025, when SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is expected to safely bring them back home. This marks yet another setback for Boeing’s Starliner program and raises questions about the future of the company’s role in space missions.
