Starliner Lands in New Mexico

Boeing's Starliner touches down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico
Boeing’s Starliner touches down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. EDT Saturday, Sept. 7, completing the agency’s Crew Flight Test. Photo credit: NASA

At 12:01 a.m. EDT, Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

NASA will provide coverage of a post-landing news conference at 1:30 a.m. on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

The following will participate in the news conference:

  • Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington
  • Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida
  • Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station, NASA Johnson

Learn more about the mission by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and @NASACommercialCrew on Facebook.

Starliner Spacecraft Airbags Inflate for Landing

The uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft is less than two minutes from landing on U.S. soil after spending three months at the International Space Station. Starliner is the first American-made orbital crew capsule designed to perform a ground landing as a reusable spacecraft.

The base heat shield separated from the spacecraft to allow the six airbags to inflate and brace for a ground landing. The three main parachutes are also slowing down the uncrewed capsule.

The airbags are filled with nitrogen to cushion Starliner’s landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The NASA and Boeing landing and recovery team is stationed at a holding zone near the landing site. After landing, technicians will use equipment to “sniff” the spacecraft for any lingering hypergolic fluids before approaching Starliner, opening the hatch, and unloading time-critical cargo. The spacecraft will then be transported to Boeing facilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Starliner Deploys Drogue, Main Parachutes

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft descends under parachutes toward its landing site in New Mexico during its return to Earth on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft descends under parachutes toward its landing site in New Mexico during its return to Earth on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

NASA’s coverage continues as Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft reaches the final stages of landing.

Around 30,000 feet after atmospheric re-entry, the forward heat shield separated from the spacecraft and the drogue parachutes inflated to help slow down the uncrewed capsule.

About 45 seconds later, at around 8,000 feet, the drogue parachutes separated to make way for three larger main parachutes to deploy, slow down Starliner to 4 miles per hour, and allow an airbag-assisted landing.

Soon, the base heat shield will jettison to expose six airbags that will inflate to assist in a soft landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico in just a few minutes at 12 a.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 7.

Watch landing coverage on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.

Starliner Completes Entry Interface

Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft successfully completed entry interface over the Pacific Ocean.

During re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere, Starliner will begin to slow down from orbital velocity at 17,500 miles per hour.

The next milestone will be separation of the forward heat shield and deployment of two drogue parachutes to slow Starliner’s speed and drag.

The spacecraft is expected to land at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

NASA’s Coverage Continues, Starliner Begins Re-entry

NASA’s coverage continues on NASA+, the NASA app, and YouTube, and the agency’s website as Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft begins entry interface 400,000 feet above Earth.

As the hottest part of re-entry, the spacecraft’s heat shield will reach 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it enters the atmosphere.

Starliner is equipped with an ablative heat shield containing a layer of plastic resin that will heat up to gas and carry the heat away from the crew capsule through convection. This process helps keep the temperature inside the capsule around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Similar heat shields were used on Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecrafts.

The spacecraft is expected to land at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.

Starliner Completes Deorbit Burn, Readies for Entry Interface

A graphic depicting Boeing Starliner's spacecraft conducting its deorbit burn as it returns to Earth.
A graphic depicting Boeing Starliner’s spacecraft conducting its deorbit burn as it returns to Earth as part of the agency’s Crew Flight Test on Friday, June 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

At 11:18 p.m. EDT, Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft completed its deorbit burn as expected over the Pacific Ocean. About two and a half minutes later, the spacecraft’s expendable service module separated. The service module provided propulsion and power leading up to the deorbit burn.

NASA’s coverage continues on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website as teams prepare for landing.

The next milestone is in about 15 minutes with entry interface. Starliner will angle itself and its heat shield for re-entry as the spacecraft prepares for a parachute-and-airbag-assisted landing at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

Starliner is the first American-made orbital crew capsule designed to perform a ground landing as a reusable spacecraft. NASA’s Spaceflight Meteorology Group forecasts a few clouds at 8,000 feet and winds out of 100 degrees around 6 knots, peaking to 8 knots, for tonight’s landing.

Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.

Uncrewed Starliner Undocks from Station for Return to Earth

The uncrewed Starliner spacecraft backs away from the International Space Station shortly after undocking from the Harmony module. Credit: NASA+

At 6:04 p.m. EDT, Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station. Starliner is headed for a deorbit burn at 11:17 p.m. and a targeted landing at 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

NASA’s coverage will begin at 10:50 p.m. for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+, the NASA appYouTube, and the agency’s website.


Learn more about the mission by following the commercial crew blog@commercial_crew on X, and @NASACommercialCrew on Facebook.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog@space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Sounds from Starliner Speakers Traced to Audio Configuration

Looking down at Boeing's Starliner spacecraft attached to the International Space Station.
The Starliner spacecraft on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above the Mediterranean Sea. Photo credit: NASA

A pulsing sound from a speaker in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft heard by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station has stopped. The feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner. The space station audio system is complex, allowing multiple spacecraft and modules to be interconnected, and it is common to experience noise and feedback. The crew is asked to contact mission control when they hear sounds originating in the comm system. The speaker feedback Wilmore reported has no technical impact to the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner’s uncrewed undocking from the station no earlier than Friday, Sept. 6.

NASA, Boeing Teams “Go” for Starliner Uncrewed Return

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA's Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port. This view is from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the port adjacent to the Starliner.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port at the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA

NASA and Boeing concluded a detailed Delta-Flight Test Readiness Review on Thursday, polling “go” to proceed with undocking of the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft no earlier than 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 6, from the International Space Station, pending weather and operational readiness.

After undocking, Starliner will take about six hours to reach the landing zone at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The spacecraft will touch down about 12:03 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, descending under parachutes and with inflated airbags to cushion the impact. Recovery teams at the landing zone will safe and prepare the spacecraft for a return to Boeing’s Starliner factory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Following NASA’s decision on Aug. 24 to return the Starliner spacecraft uncrewed, mission managers and flight controllers updated elements of the Starliner systems with specific information for this mission that will allow the spacecraft to execute the return. The uncrewed Starliner spacecraft will perform a fully autonomous return with flight controllers at Starliner Mission Control in Houston and at Boeing Mission Control Center in Florida. Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States. NASA will host a media briefing to discuss more details about return operations, and the agency will share more on the briefing schedule and return coverage.

Starliner has previously completed a successful uncrewed entry and landing during two orbital flight tests. During one of the flight tests, the spacecraft also proved it could autonomously undock with the station safely.

As part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, agency astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew aboard Starliner to the station in June. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the orbiting complex as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025, when they’ll return with the agency’s Crew-9 mission.

NASA, Boeing Chart Course for Starliner Return Review

Image shows Boeing's Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA's Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 258 miles above western China.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

Engineering and spaceflight specialists from NASA and Boeing continue data analysis ahead of a decision this week on the path forward for the Starliner spacecraft’s return from the International Space Station.

NASA’s decision on whether to return Starliner to Earth with astronauts aboard is expected no earlier than Saturday, Aug. 24 at the conclusion of an agency-level review chaired by Ken Bowersox, the associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate. The agency flight readiness review is where any formal dissents are presented and reconciled. Other agency leaders who routinely participate in launch and return readiness reviews for crewed missions include NASA’s administrator, deputy administrator, associate administrator, various agency center directors, the Flight Operations Directorate, and agency technical authorities.

NASA will host a televised news conference following the review’s conclusion to discuss the agency’s decision and next steps. More information on the news conference will be shared once confirmed. After the agency-level decision, program and flight control teams will continue preparing for Starliner’s return, including training sessions and other actions as appropriate.

Ahead of the agency-level review, NASA and Boeing are working to finalize and present flight rationale to various teams across the community and to the program control board. Engineering teams have been working to evaluate a new model that represents the thruster mechanics and is designed to more accurately predict performance during the return phase of flight. This data could help teams better understand system redundancy from undock to service module separation. Ongoing efforts to complete the new modelling, characterize spacecraft performance data, refine integrated risk assessments, and determine community recommendations will fold into the agency-level review.

Alongside the crew members of Expedition 71, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, commander, and Suni Williams, pilot, continue supporting a host of research, maintenance, and other activities aboard the microgravity laboratory since arriving on Starliner on June 6.