Boeing Starliner capsule returns to Earth without astronauts

Test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williamwere now face a wait of until at least next February before they can return home, as ITV News' David Harper reports

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft has returned to Earth empty because NASA said the journey was too risky for the astronauts it was supposed to be carrying.

Two test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williamwere, were left behind on the International Space Station.

The pair are now due to return home on a SpaceX flight in February - more than eight months after blasting off on what should have been a quick trip.

Boeing's empty capsule was on autopilot as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere and parachuted into New Mexico.

It was an uneventful close to a drama that began in June with the launch of Boeing's first test flight of its Starliner spacecraft with astronauts on board.

However, thruster failures and helium leaks put the return trip in question as engineers struggled to understand the capsule's problems.

Boeing insisted the Starliner was safe to bring the two home, but NASA disagreed and booked a flight with SpaceX instead.

Before the unmanned capsule departed, Wilmore and Williams wished the spacecraft, nicknamed Calypso, luck on its long-awaited and unexpected journey home.

"It is time to bring Calypso home," Mr Williams said to mission control on Friday evening.

"You have got this. We have your backs, and you've got this. Bring her back to Earth."

When it successfully returned to Earth, Boeing's Mission Control said: "A good landing, pretty awesome."

Wilmore and Williams will return on SpaceX's crew ferry flight which will depart later this month.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule will launch on the half-year expedition with only two astronauts, since two seats are reserved for Wilmore and Williams for the return leg.

NASA’s Steve Stich said earlier this week that the space agency remains committed to having two competing US companies transporting astronauts.

The goal is for SpaceX and Boeing to take turns launching crews - one a year per company - until the space station is abandoned in 2030.

"We are excited to have Starliner home safely," said Mr Stich. "This was an important test flight for NASA in setting us up for future missions."

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