Sunita Williams Test Flight: Faulty Starliner Set For Return — When And Where To Watch NASA Live Coverage

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is set to undock from ISS on Friday and return to Earth without astronauts due to safety concerns. Uncrewed spacecraft's return will conclude its 1st human test flight.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has encountered several challenges since its inception as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (Image: NASA)

Source : NASA

Sunita Williams Test Flight: NASA and Boeing are gearing up for the highly anticipated return of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which is set to autonomously undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, September 6 (Saturday, September 7 in India). The spacecraft, which has been docked at the ISS since its June 6 arrival, will return to Earth without the two astronauts who initially launched aboard it — Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore — after safety concerns led NASA to alter the original mission plan.

The faulty Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to undock from the ISS at approximately 6:04 pm EDT, Friday (3.34 am, IST, Saturday), weather permitting, and make its way toward a landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The uncrewed spacecraft’s return to Earth will mark the conclusion of its first human test flight, with the landing targeted for 12:03 am EDT on Saturday (9:33 am IST), September 7.

Addressing a press conference on September 4, NASA officials said the space agency and Boeing were confident the Starliner capsule would make a safe return to Earth in autonomous mode.

Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, said two previous test flights of Starliner had made successful parachute-assisted ground landings uncrewed, when autonomous systems guided them back.

“We have confidence in the vehicle, we have confidence that the de-orbit burn will be executed and we have two good landings with Starliner so far,” Stich said, adding that they were expecting another one Saturday.

Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Remain On ISS

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who launched aboard Starliner on June 5, will not return aboard the spacecraft due to a series of technical issues identified during the mission. Upon the spacecraft’s arrival at the ISS, engineers discovered helium leaks and experienced problems with the reaction control thrusters. As a result, NASA decided to prioritise the astronauts' safety by having them remain aboard the station. 
The astronauts are now scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission. Wilmore and Williams will be joined by two other crew members for their journey home.

What’s Next For Boeing’s Starliner?

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has encountered several challenges since its inception as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, including this latest mission, which was marred by technical issues. Despite these setbacks, the flight is a key step toward certifying the Starliner for future crewed missions. The upcoming return will be closely watched to assess the spacecraft's performance in critical phases like undocking, reentry, and landing, NASA has said.
The post-landing news conference will provide additional insights into the mission’s outcomes, and NASA is expected to share further details on the future of Starliner and Boeing’s role in space exploration.

Starliner Return Schedule 

Here is the full schedule of NASA’s live coverage related to Starliner’s return. The times are subject to change:

Saturday, September 7:  
3:15  am IST – Coverage of undocking begins 
3:34 am IST – Starliner undocking from the ISS

Sunday, September 8: 
8:20 am IST – Coverage resumes for deorbit burn, entry, and landing
9:33 am IST – Targeted landing of the Starliner spacecraft
11:00 am IST – Post-landing news conference by NASA and Boeing representatives

The hatch on @BoeingSpace's #Starliner spacecraft was closed today at 1:29 p.m. ET and the spacecraft is set to undock from @Space_Station at 6:04 p.m. ET Friday, Sept. 6.

Follow the agency’s live coverage: https://t.co/KtuhbXtfZv

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) September 5, 2024

Where To Watch NASA Live Coverage Of Starliner Return 

NASA will provide live coverage of Starliner’s undocking and return through its NASA+ streaming service, the NASA app, YouTube, and the