Boeing’s first astronaut mission ended Friday night with an empty capsule landing and two test pilots still in space. NASA decided it was too risky for them to return and the astronauts will have to wait until next year to come back.
The capsule parachuted into New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range after leaving the International Space Station. The landing was on autopilot and happened in the dark.
The drama began in June with Boeing’s crew debut, facing thruster failures and helium leaks. Engineers struggled to fix the problems and for months, there were doubts about bringing the astronauts back.
Despite Boeing’s assurance that the capsule was safe, NASA disagreed and arranged for a flight with SpaceX instead. The astronauts won’t return until February, waiting more than eight months for what was supposed to be a quick trip.
Wilmore and Williams should have returned in mid-June, but there were too many issues with the capsule. So, it returned to Earth without them, carrying only their empty seats, space suits, and some old equipment from the space station.
The landing went smoothly, and the capsule undocked from the space station before descending to Earth. NASA officials were happy with the successful landing despite the glitches during the reentry.
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