NASA astronaut Sunita Williams "called down" to the flight control teams just ahead of Starliner's departure from the International Space Station on Friday as per Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). She thanked the teams behind the Starliner mission and said, "...it is time to bring Calypso home".
"We are just looking at the flight control rosters and like wow, it is the all-star team...it is time to bring Calypso home. You have got this. We have your backs and you've got this. Bring her back to Earth," Sunita Williams said. Boeing Starliner's Calypso is a space capsule manufactured by Boeing and used in NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
Williams' message was shared by NASA minutes before the Starliner spacecraft proceeded to depart from the International Space Station and move towards the Earth.
Starliner began its return journey to Earth, without its crew members Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, at 6:04 pm (EDT) on Friday (September 6), or 3:30 am (IST, India Standard Time) on Saturday (September 7).
Now, all eyes are on the landing of the Starliner early Saturday. Experts have maintained that the re-entry into Earth is more difficult than the onward journey to the space.
The Boeing spacecraft is expected to land in New Mexico around 12 am (EDT), or 9:30 am (IST), on Saturday, September 7. That's roughly six hours after the undocking from the ISS.
"At 6:04 p.m. EDT, Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station. Starliner is headed for a deorbit burn at 11:17 pm and a targeted landing at 12 am Saturday, September 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico," NASA said.
"She's on her way home," astronaut Sunita Williams radioed after Starliner exited, according to the Associated Press.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight. They arrived at the space station on June 6.
During the spaceflight, Starliner was detected with helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters.
Ensuring the safety of the two astronauts, NASA announced on August 24 that Starliner will return to Earth from the station without its two crew members.
Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
NASA has maintained that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are not “stuck” or "stranded" in space and they can return to Earth in an emergency scenario.
Moreover, the duo is spending their time on the ISS by conducting several experiments, studies and research. NASA officials said earlier that since their arrival aboard the ISS, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have conducted at least 42 scientific experiments, dedicating over 100 hours to research.
