Vacant Starliner to Return

Boeing's faulty Starliner vehicle is scheduled to depart from the International Space Station this evening and return to Earth without its two-person crew, 73 days later than intended. Weather permitting, the small bus-sized module will parachute six hours later in New Mexico to the White Sands Space Harbor.

The vehicle's inaugural crewed mission launched June 5 with astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore in tow for a planned eight-day trip to the ISS. Shortly before docking, five of the service module's 28 thrusters misfired (see breakdown). On-Earth tests point to a possible overheated, swollen Teflon seal blocking the flow of propellant. Later analysis revealed a separate helium leak in the propulsion system.

The issues have forced engineers to delay the astronauts' homecoming out of caution. After over two months of deliberation, officials opted to return a crewless Starliner to Earth and transport the two astronauts in February aboard SpaceX's regularly scheduled Crew Dragon spacecraft. See how the stranded pair have passed the time here.