Boeing Starliner capsule lands back on Earth after key test mission
- The successful trip – 2½ years after a botched first attempt – boosts Nasa’s efforts to reduce reliance on Russia for rides to the International Space Station
- The launch paves the way for the US space agency’s astronauts to climb aboard on the capsule’s next trip
Boeing’s crew taxi returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Wednesday, completing a repeat test flight before Nasa astronauts climb aboard.
It was a quick trip back: the Starliner capsule parachuted into the New Mexico desert just four hours after leaving the orbiting lab, with airbags attached to cushion the landing. Only a mannequin was on board.
Aside from thruster failures and cooling system snags, Starliner appeared to clinch its high-stakes shakedown cruise, 2½ years after its botched first try.
Nasa astronauts will strap in next for a trip to the space station. The space agency has long wanted two competing US companies ferrying astronauts, for added insurance as it drastically reduced its reliance on Russia for rides to and from the space station.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is already the established leader, launching astronauts since 2020 and even tourists. Its crew capsules splash down off the Florida coast. Boeing’s Starliner returns to the Army’s expansive and desolate White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.