Tag: International Space Station
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As it happened: Boeing’s Starliner returned to Earth, marking the end of the Crew Flight Test mission
The summer-long saga of the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test is set to come to an end on Friday. Landing at the White Sands Space Harbor shortly after midnight on Saturday. Starliner will make its final journey without crew onboard. NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams will remain onboard the International Space…
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After another Boeing letdown, NASA isn’t ready to buy more Starliner missions
NASA is ready for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, stricken with thruster problems and helium leaks, to leave the International Space Station as soon as Friday, wrapping up a disappointing test flight that has clouded the long-term future of the Starliner program. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who launched aboard Starliner on June 5, closed the…
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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft wraps up its crewless journey home from space station
Boeing’s Starliner space capsule sits in the New Mexico desert after touchdown. (Boeing Photo) It wasn’t perfect, but the propulsion system that NASA worried about did its job today as Boeing’s Starliner space capsule made an uncrewed descent from the International Space Station back down to Earth. The gumdrop-shaped spacecraft, christened Calypso, floated down to…
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Boeing will try to fly its troubled Starliner capsule back to Earth next week
NASA and Boeing are proceeding with final preparations to undock the Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station next Friday, September 6, to head for landing at White Sands Space Harbor in southern New Mexico. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were supposed to return to Earth inside Starliner, will remain behind on the…
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NASA’s Starliner decision was the right one, but it’s a crushing blow for Boeing
Ten years ago next month, NASA announced that Boeing, one of the agency’s most experienced contractors, won the lion’s share of government money available to end the agency’s sole reliance on Russia to ferry its astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. At the time, Boeing won $4.2 billion from NASA to complete the development of…
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NASA says Boeing Starliner craft will land empty, with its crew returning months later
Boeing’s Starliner capsule is shown docked to the International Space Station with a turning Earth in the background. (NASA Photo) NASA has decided it’s too risky to have Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft return to Earth from the International Space Station with its two crew members, and so those astronauts will extend their stay by several months…
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After months of mulling, NASA will decide on Starliner return this weekend
Senior NASA leaders, including the agency’s administrator, Bill Nelson, will meet Saturday in Houston to decide whether Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is safe enough to ferry astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth from the International Space Station. The Flight Readiness Review (FRR) is expected to conclude with NASA’s most consequential safety decision in…
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NASA acknowledges it cannot quantify risk of Starliner propulsion issues
With no consensus on the safety of the Starliner crew capsule, NASA officials said Wednesday they need another week or two before deciding whether to bring two astronauts back to Earth on Boeing’s spacecraft or extend their stay on the International Space Station until next year. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, stricken by suspect thrusters and helium…
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NASA acknowledges it cannot quantify risk of Starliner propulsion issues
With no consensus on the safety of the Starliner crew capsule, NASA officials said Wednesday they need another week or two before deciding whether to bring two astronauts back to Earth on Boeing’s spacecraft or extend their stay on the International Space Station until next year. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, stricken by suspect thrusters and helium…
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As it happened: NASA officials discuss latest on Boeing Crew Flight Test
NASA officials continue to review data on the Starliner spacecraft as they determine how best to conclude the mission and return both the spacecraft as well as its crew back to Earth. Follow along with our live blog for updates from the media teleconference, which is set to begin at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 UTC).…