Boeing Starliner returns to Earth without astronauts

Boeing's Starliner capsule has successfully returned to Earth following a test mission that was originally planned for one week but extended to three months due to mechanical issues.

The spacecraft, named Calypso, landed at White Sands Space Harbour in New Mexico at 5:01 am BST after a challenging re-entry where it reached speeds of 17 times the speed of sound.

NASA mission control commentator Brandi Dean acknowledged the landing, saying: "Well done to the entire team...welcome home, Calypso."

Developed by Boeing under a $4.2 billion NASA contract, Starliner is designed to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) and other low Earth orbit destinations.

However, the project has faced numerous setbacks, putting it seven years behind schedule.

Originally planned as a crewed test flight, the mission faced complications soon after its June 5 launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The capsule experienced helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, leading to monthsof analysis by Boeing and NASA engineers.

In late August, NASA decided against bringing astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back on Starliner due to safety concerns. Both astronauts remain on the International Space Station and are reported to be in goodspirits.

Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew programme manager, acknowledged the mixed emotions following the landing. "From a human perspective, all of us feel happy about the successful landing, but then there's a piece of us - all of us - that wish it would have been the way we had planned it," he said.

"We had planned to have the mission land with Butch and Suni on board."

Stich added that there was "clearly work to do" and that it would take "a little time" to determine the next steps for the program.

Notably, Boeing representatives were absent from the post-landing news briefing. When questioned about this,

NASA official Joel Montalbano explained that Boeing had decided to "defer to NASA" to represent the mission.Boeing later released a statement acknowledging the work done to ensure a safe return and indicating that they would "review the data and determine the next steps" for the program.

The decision-making process leading up to the unmanned return was not without controversy. Stich previously admitted there was "tension in the room" between Boeing and NASA, with Boeing arguing for a crewed return."The NASA team, due to the uncertainty and the modelling, could not get comfortable with that," Stich explained.