Boeing Starliner to undock from ISS Friday evening, lands shortly after

NASA is preparing for the uncrewed return of the Boeing Starliner from the International Space Station, with undocking scheduled for shortly after 6 p.m. EDT on Friday. This mission follows the spacecraft's first crewed flight on June 5, which faced issues such as helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, prompting NASA to prioritize safety by keeping astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the ISS until February. They will return home via a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft instead. After undocking, the Starliner will execute a series of departure maneuvers before performing a deorbit burn lasting about 60 seconds. This burn is crucial for slowing the spacecraft down enough to safely re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. The service module of the Starliner is expected to burn up during re-entry over the southern Pacific Ocean, while the heat shield will be jettisoned at approximately 30,000 feet. As the Starliner descends, it will deploy a series of drag devices and parachutes to facilitate a safe landing. At 3,000 feet, an additional heat shield will be released, and inflatable landing bags will be deployed to ensure a soft touchdown. The targeted landing site is White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, with the landing expected to occur at 12:03 a.m. Saturday. The flight path will allow visibility of the spacecraft over parts of northern Mexico and southwestern New Mexico, depending on weather conditions. This mission marks a significant step in Boeing's efforts to address previous challenges and successfully demonstrate the capabilities of the Starliner spacecraft.