NASA has decided to bring Boeing’s Starliner capsule back to Earth without the two astronauts onboard, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will instead return via a SpaceX vehicle early next year. The decision follows prolonged delays and technical issues with the capsule, which launched on June 5, 2024.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the Starliner mission:
- Sept. 4, 2015: Boeing unveils its assembly plant for the new Starliner spacecraft, aimed at transporting crews to the ISS.
- Nov. 4, 2019: Boeing reports a parachute failure during an unmanned test of Starliner.
- Dec. 20, 2019: Starliner successfully launches on its uncrewed test mission to the ISS.
- Dec. 22, 2019: The spacecraft makes a successful landing in New Mexico.
- Jan. 7, 2020: NASA and Boeing investigate a software glitch that prevented the capsule from docking with the ISS.
- Feb. 6, 2020: A NASA review panel notes Boeing narrowly avoided a “catastrophic failure” during the test flight.
- Aug. 25, 2020: The first crewed Starliner mission is tentatively set for 2021, pending completion of software and hardware development.
- Oct. 7, 2020: Chris Ferguson steps down as the chief astronaut for the Starliner mission, replaced by Wilmore.
- July 29, 2021: A space station mishap delays the Starliner launch.
- Aug. 3, 2021: Boeing postpones the launch due to a new glitch.
- Aug. 13, 2021: Starliner is returned to the factory to fix a valve issue, further delaying the launch.
- May 19, 2022: Starliner launches on a do-over uncrewed test flight to the ISS.
- May 20, 2022: The capsule docks with the ISS for the first time without astronauts onboard.
- Aug. 25, 2022: Boeing aims for early 2023 for the first crewed Starliner mission.
- June 1, 2023: Boeing announces it is pausing preparations for the crewed flight due to two safety issues.
- May 3, 2024: The first crewed mission is set for the following week after a year’s delay.
- May 6, 2024: The launch is postponed due to a fault with the Atlas V rocket.
- May 7, 2024: A new launch date is set for May 17.
- May 14, 2024: The mission is delayed again due to a propulsion system issue.
- May 17, 2024: The launch is delayed again to address a helium leak.
- May 21, 2024: Another delay for evaluation of the helium leak.
- May 22, 2024: Target launch date is set for June 1.
- June 1, 2024: The launch attempt is halted by a computer-abort system.
- June 2, 2024: A new target date is set for June 5.
- June 5, 2024: Starliner launches with astronauts on board and docks with the ISS on June 6.
- June 11, 2024: Starliner’s return is delayed due to technical issues and weather.
- June 21, 2024: Return to Earth is further postponed for technical review.
- June 27, 2024: NASA continues to evaluate the capsule’s performance.
- Aug. 7, 2024: NASA plans for astronauts to return on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon if Starliner remains unsafe.
- Aug. 24, 2024: The Starliner capsule will return without the astronauts, who will now return on a SpaceX vehicle early next year.
