Boeing's Starliner Returns to Earth Without Crew
Boeing's Starliner Returns to Earth Without Crew Boeing's Starliner Returns to Earth Without Crew Boeing's Starliner spacecraft came back to Earth on Saturday. It did so without the NASA astronauts who were meant to go to the International Space Station (ISS). The return was a big deal but had some problems, making it too risky for the astronauts. This is a big setback for Boeing and its spaceflight program. The agency said it was too dangerous because of technical issues during the mission. Key Takeaways Boeing's Starliner capsule completed a test mission that was planned for one week but extended to three months. Starliner reached speeds of 17 times the speed of sound during re-entry. NASA's commercial crew program allocated a $4.2 billion contract to Boeing for developing the Starliner spacecraft. The Starliner project is seven years behind schedule. Starliner faced helium leaks and thruster malfunctions leading to months of analysis. Sta...