Boeing Starliner Capsule Leaves Space Station, Heads Home Without Astronauts

A Long-Awaited Departure

Boeing's much-anticipated Starliner capsule has finally left the International Space Station (ISS) after a successful five-day stay. The uncrewed spacecraft undocked from the station's Harmony module on Tuesday, August 9th, at 10:36 pm EDT and began its solo journey back to Earth. This marks the end of the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission, a crucial step in Boeing's efforts to certify Starliner for human spaceflight.

A Farewell and Best Wishes

As Starliner departed the ISS, NASA astronaut Bob Hines, who served as the spacecraft's communicator during its stay, bid farewell with a heartfelt message: "Good luck, Starliner. We'll be watching and waiting for your safe return." Starliner's journey home is expected to take about five days, during which time it will conduct several key tests and maneuvers. Upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, the capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, where it will be recovered by a team of engineers and technicians.