Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore close Starliner's hatch, Boeing spacecraft ready to return without astronauts

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore “finished packing” the Starliner, the US space agency said early Friday. The duo closed the hatch on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft late Thursday. The spacecraft is set to undock from the International Space Station around 3:30 am on Saturday (IST) or 6:04 pm EDT on Friday.

“Mission managers have given the first “go” for the Boeing Starliner spacecraft to undock from the International Space Station at 6:04 pm EDT on Friday and land in New Mexico about six hours later,” NASA said in a press release on Thursday, September 5.

NASA further informed that Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams “finished packing Starliner with cargo and configuring its cabin for return. They closed Starliner’s hatch for the final time Thursday afternoon, readying the spacecraft for its uncrewed departure.”

On Thursday morning, NASA official Ed Van Cise said he and his team worked with Butch and Sunita to finalise “the config of the return cargo in Calypso.”

Meanwhile, the crew studied how space affects exercise, photosynthesis, and more on Thursday.

When and where to watch Starliner's return journey to Earth?

NASA will begin Starliner’s departure coverage at 5:45 pm ET or 3:15 am IST on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

Tap here to watch LIVE undocking of the Starliner. Watch here for NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Re-entry and Landing.

The Starliner saga and astronauts ‘stuck’ in space

Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will stay aboard the ISS in space until February 2025. They will return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-9 mission.

The two astronauts had launched aboard the Starliner capsule on June 5. They reached the ISS on June 6. During their flight, they detected technical issues with the Starliner. They reported helium leaks and issues with the thrusters.

It was the first commercial crew test flight of Boeing's Starliner.

Starliner and its crew were supposed to return from space in eight days. However, their return was delayed as teams in space and on the ground conducted research and studies to fully understand the spacecraft and the root cause of the issues faced during the flight.

After months of delay, NASA opted to bring the ship home with two empty seats despite Boeing's assurances of a safe flight.

“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The decision "is a result of a commitment to safety.”