NASA gives the go-ahead for Boeing’s Starliner to return — without its crew

The update added that after disconnecting from the International Space Station (ISS), the spacecraft will take “approximately six hours to reach the landing zone at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico,” landing at midnight on September 7.

After it lands, recovery teams will prepare for its return to Boeing’s Starliner factory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the update said.

The announcement came shortly after NASA decided the aircraft was not suitable for bringing NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth.

The two have been on the ISS since the Starliner docked there on June 6.

Their mission, which was to test the Starliner’s capabilities for commercial space travel, was supposed to last eight to 10 days. Their return continued to be delayed due to problems with the aircraft’s thrusters.

Since then, the two have integrated with the ISS crew, conducting tests on the Starliner, conducting science experiments on the ISS, and even helping with maintenance.

They are now scheduled to return via the SpaceX Crew Dragon in February 2025. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson explained the decision to bring the Starliner back without a crew during a news conference Saturday at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“Spaceflight is risky,” he said. “Even in the safest state. Even at the most routine. A test flight, by its very nature, is neither safe nor routine. So the decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring the Boeing Starliner home without a crew is the result of a commitment to safety.”

NASA representatives did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s after-hours requests for comment.