https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-decides-to-bring-starliner-spacecraft-back-to-earth-without-crew/ NASA Logo * Explore Search [ ] NASA Logo * News & Events News & Events + All NASA News + Video Series on NASA+ + Podcasts + Blogs + Newsletters + Social Media + Media Resources + Upcoming Launches & Landings + Virtual Events * Multimedia Multimedia + NASA+ + Images + NASA TV + NASA Apps + Podcasts + Image of the Day + e-Books + Sounds and Ringtones + Interactives + STEM Multimedia * NASA+ Search [ ] Suggested Searches * Climate Change * Artemis * Expedition 64 * Mars perseverance * SpaceX Crew-2 * International Space Station * View All Topics A-Z * Home * Missions * Humans in Space * Earth & Climate * The Solar System * The Universe * Science * Aeronautics * Technology * Learning Resources * About NASA * Espanol ----------------------------------------------------------------- * News & Events * Multimedia * NASA+ Featured 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. 7 min read FAQ: NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Return Status article4 days ago NASA's EXCITE Mission Prepared for Scientific Balloon Flight 5 min read NASA's EXCITE Mission Prepared for Scientific Balloon Flight article2 days ago Talented Teams Tackle Toasty Planet 4 min read Talented Teams Tackle Toasty Planet article3 days ago Back --------------------------------------------------------------------- Missions * Search All NASA Missions * A to Z List of Missions * Upcoming Launches and Landings * Spaceships and Rockets * Communicating with Missions * Artemis * James Webb Space Telescope * Hubble Space Telescope * International Space Station * OSIRIS-Rex Humans in Space * Why Go to Space * Astronauts * Commercial Space * Destinations * Spaceships and Rockets * Living in Space Earth & Climate * Explore Earth Science * Climate Change * Earth, Our Planet * Earth Science in Action * Earth Multimedia * Earth Data * Earth Science Researchers The Solar System * The Sun * Mercury * Venus * Earth * The Moon * Mars * Jupiter * Saturn * Uranus * Neptune * Pluto & Dwarf Planets * Asteroids, Comets & Meteors * The Kuiper Belt * The Oort Cloud * Skywatching The Universe * Exoplanets * The Search for Life in the Universe * Stars * Galaxies * Black Holes * The Big Bang * Dark Energy & Dark Matter Science * Earth Science * Planetary Science * Astrophysics & Space Science * The Sun & Heliophysics * Biological & Physical Sciences * Lunar Science * Citizen Science * Astromaterials * Aeronautics Research * Human Space Travel Research Aeronautics * Science in the Air * NASA Aircraft * Flight Innovation * Supersonic Flight * Air Traffic Solutions * Green Aviation Tech * Drones & You Technology * Technology Transfer & Spinoffs * Space Travel Technology * Technology Living in Space * Manufacturing and Materials * Robotics * Science Instruments * Computing Learning Resources * For Kids and Students * For Educators * For Colleges and Universities * For Professionals * Science for Everyone * Requests for Exhibits, Artifacts, or Speakers * STEM Engagement at NASA About NASA * NASA's Impacts * Centers and Facilities * Directorates * Organizations * People of NASA * Careers * Internships * Our History * Doing Business with NASA * Get Involved * Contact NASA en Espanol * Ciencia * Aeronautica * Ciencias Terrestres * Sistema Solar * Universo News & Events * All NASA News * Video Series on NASA+ * Podcasts * Blogs * Newsletters * Social Media * Media Resources * Upcoming Launches & Landings * Virtual Events Multimedia * NASA+ * Images * NASA TV * NASA Apps * Podcasts * Image of the Day * e-Books * Sounds and Ringtones * Interactives * STEM Multimedia Featured 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. 7 min read FAQ: NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Return Status article 4 days ago Hubble Reaches a Lonely Light in the Dark 2 min read Hubble Reaches a Lonely Light in the Dark article 1 day ago NASA's EXCITE Mission Prepared for Scientific Balloon Flight 5 min read NASA's EXCITE Mission Prepared for Scientific Balloon Flight article 2 days ago Highlights The crew of the Human Exploration Research Analog's Campaign 7 Mission 1 clasp hands above their simulated space habitat's elevator shaft. 3 min read NASA Funds Studies to Support Crew Performance on Long-Duration Missions article 1 day ago An astronaut holds a tablet displaying plans for a lunar lander. In the background, that lander appears to be under construction. In the foreground, a small logistics rover carries material toward the lander. 3 min read NextSTEP R: Lunar Logistics and Mobility Studies article 5 days ago A female astronaut with a headset works inside the International Space Station, focusing on an experiment within a controlled environment. She is wearing a blue shirt and blue gloves while handling equipment inside a glovebox. 3 min read Station Science Top News: August 16, 2024 article 5 days ago Highlights STV Precursor Coincident Datasets 1 min read STV Precursor Coincident Datasets article 4 days ago This artist's concept depicts one of the Carbon Mapper Coalition's Tanager satellites 4 min read NASA-Designed Greenhouse Gas-Detection Instrument Launches article 1 week ago Airborne Surface, Cryosphere, Ecosystem, and Nearshore Topography 1 min read Airborne Surface, Cryosphere, Ecosystem, and Nearshore Topography article 2 weeks ago Highlights The Making of Our Alien Earth: The Undersea Volcanoes of Santorini, Greece 14 min read The Making of Our Alien Earth: The Undersea Volcanoes of Santorini, Greece article 3 hours ago A group of six individuals, consisting of three men and three women, are standing together holding signed documents. The men are on the left and center, wearing business suits, and the women are on the right. 5 min read NASA Shares Asteroid Bennu Sample in Exchange with JAXA article 1 day ago Two engineers in cleanroom suits work from elevated orange platforms on the cylindrical structure of the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) at Maxar Space Systems in Palo Alto, California. 2 min read Gateway: Energizing Exploration article 2 days ago Featured Hubble Reaches a Lonely Light in the Dark 2 min read Hubble Reaches a Lonely Light in the Dark article 1 day ago NASA's EXCITE Mission Prepared for Scientific Balloon Flight 5 min read NASA's EXCITE Mission Prepared for Scientific Balloon Flight article 2 days ago Hubble Finds Structure in an Unstructured Galaxy 2 min read Hubble Finds Structure in an Unstructured Galaxy article 2 days ago Highlights The Making of Our Alien Earth: The Undersea Volcanoes of Santorini, Greece 14 min read The Making of Our Alien Earth: The Undersea Volcanoes of Santorini, Greece article 3 hours ago A group of six individuals, consisting of three men and three women, are standing together holding signed documents. The men are on the left and center, wearing business suits, and the women are on the right. 5 min read NASA Shares Asteroid Bennu Sample in Exchange with JAXA article 1 day ago Hubble Reaches a Lonely Light in the Dark 2 min read Hubble Reaches a Lonely Light in the Dark article 1 day ago Highlights Automated fiber placement machine on an industrial robot 2 min read NASA Composite Manufacturing Initiative Gains Two New Members article 2 days ago A group of 22 students pose on a stairway descending from an aircraft door. The plane and stairway are white, on a sunny tarmac. 3 min read Beyond the Textbook: DC-8 Aircraft Inspires Students in Retirement article 2 days ago A black and white photo of a Lockheed 12A airplane sitting on a tarmac, with pipes installed along its wings that are blasting warm air on the leading edge of the wing. 2 min read NASA Celebrates Ames's Legacy of Research on National Aviation Day article 5 days ago Highlights Asteroid tour design in Copernicus 10 min read Copernicus Trajectory Design and Optimization System article 3 days ago A female astronaut with a headset works inside the International Space Station, focusing on an experiment within a controlled environment. She is wearing a blue shirt and blue gloves while handling equipment inside a glovebox. 3 min read Station Science Top News: August 16, 2024 article 5 days ago Perseverance Pays Off for Student Challenge Winners 3 min read Perseverance Pays Off for Student Challenge Winners article 1 week ago Featured Madyson Knox experiments with UV-sensitive beads. 4 min read How Do I Navigate NASA Learning Resources and Opportunities? article 3 weeks ago Featured 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. 7 min read FAQ: NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Return Status article 4 days ago A group of six individuals, consisting of three men and three women, are standing together holding signed documents. The men are on the left and center, wearing business suits, and the women are on the right. 5 min read NASA Shares Asteroid Bennu Sample in Exchange with JAXA article 1 day ago The crew of the Human Exploration Research Analog's Campaign 7 Mission 1 clasp hands above their simulated space habitat's elevator shaft. 3 min read NASA Funds Studies to Support Crew Performance on Long-Duration Missions article 1 day ago Highlights 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. 10 min read Preguntas frecuentes: Estado del retorno de la prueba de vuelo tripulado Boeing de la NASA article 1 day ago NASA Astronaut Official Portrait Frank Rubio 5 min read Astronauta de la NASA Frank Rubio article 2 months ago 2021 Astronaut Candidates Stand in Recognition 6 min read Diez maneras en que los estudiantes pueden prepararse para ser astronautas article 5 months ago 5 min read NASA Decides to Bring Starliner Spacecraft Back to Earth Without Crew The headshot image of Jessica Taveau Jessica Taveau Aug 24, 2024 RELEASE24-108 NASA Headquarters * * * * A group of NASA leaders sit at a table to conduct a live news conference at NASA Johnson. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and leadership participate in a live news conference on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston where they provided an update about NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test. Credit: NASA NASA will return Boeing's Starliner to Earth without astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the spacecraft, the agency announced Saturday. The uncrewed return allows NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew. Wilmore and Williams, who flew to the International Space Station in June aboard NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test, have been busy supporting station research, maintenance, and Starliner system testing and data analysis, among other activities. "Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing's Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "I'm grateful to both the NASA and Boeing teams for all their incredible and detailed work." Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025. They will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September. NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters on June 6 as Starliner approached the space station. Since then, engineering teams have completed a significant amount of work, including reviewing a collection of data, conducting flight and ground testing, hosting independent reviews with agency propulsion experts, and developing various return contingency plans. The uncertainty and lack of expert concurrence does not meet the agency's safety and performance requirements for human spaceflight, thus prompting NASA leadership to move the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission. "Decisions like this are never easy, but I want to commend our NASA and Boeing teams for their thorough analysis, transparent discussions, and focus on safety during the Crew Flight Test," said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate. "We've learned a lot about the spacecraft during its journey to the station and its docked operations. We also will continue to gather more data about Starliner during the uncrewed return and improve the system for future flights to the space station." NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts (from top) Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams pose on June 13, 2024 for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts (from top) Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams pose on June 13, 2024 for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Credit: NASA Starliner is designed to operate autonomously and previously completed two uncrewed flights. NASA and Boeing will work together to adjust end-of-mission planning and Starliner's systems to set up for the uncrewed return in the coming weeks. Starliner must return to Earth before the Crew-9 mission launches to ensure a docking port is available on station. "Starliner is a very capable spacecraft and, ultimately, this comes down to needing a higher level of certainty to perform a crewed return," said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. "The NASA and Boeing teams have completed a tremendous amount of testing and analysis, and this flight test is providing critical information on Starliner's performance in space. Our efforts will help prepare for the uncrewed return and will greatly benefit future corrective actions for the spacecraft." NASA's Commercial Crew Program requires spacecraft fly a crewed test flight to prove the system is ready for regular flights to and from the space station. Following Starliner's return, the agency will review all mission-related data to inform what additional actions are required to meet NASA's certification requirements. The agency's SpaceX Crew-9 mission, originally slated with four crew members, will launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24. The agency will share more information about the Crew-9 complement when details are finalized. NASA and SpaceX currently are working several items before launch, including reconfiguring seats on the Crew-9 Dragon, and adjusting the manifest to carry additional cargo, personal effects, and Dragon-specific spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams. In addition, NASA and SpaceX now will use new facilities at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to launch Crew-9, which provides increased operational flexibility around NASA's planned Europa Clipper launch. The Crew-9 mission will be the ninth rotational mission to the space station under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which works with the American aerospace industry to meet the goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil. For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA's Artemis campaign is underway at the Moon where the agency is preparing for future human exploration of Mars. Find more information on NASA's Commercial Crew Program at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew -end- Meira Bernstein / Josh Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Steve Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott / Stephanie Plucinsky Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-867-2468 steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov Leah Cheshier / Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov Share * * * * Details Last Updated Aug 24, 2024 Editor Jessica Taveau Location NASA Headquarters Related Terms * Commercial Crew * International Space Station (ISS) NASA Logo National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. * About NASA's Mission Join Us * Home * News & Events * Multimedia * NASA+ * Missions * Humans in Space * Earth & Climate * The Solar System * The Universe * Science * Aeronautics * Technology * Learning Resources * About NASA * NASA en Espanol Follow NASA * * * * * More NASA Social Accounts * NASA Newsletters * Sitemap * For Media * Privacy Policy * FOIA * No FEAR Act * Office of the IG * Budget & Annual Reports * Agency Financial Reports * Contact NASA * Accessibility * Page Last Updated: Aug 24, 2024 * Page Editor: Jessica Taveau * Responsible NASA Official: Abigail Bowman