Boeing Starliner departs space station to return to Earth without a crew

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft departed the International Space Station on Friday just after 6 p.m., starting a journey back to Earth without any crew on board. The ship is expected to drop out of orbit and plunge to a landing at White Sands, New Mexico, just after midnight Eastern Time.

[rtqii]

This craft would have been much safer, and much more reliable, if the first crew were the Boeing CEO and upper management.

[mhsiehmd]

Those 2 astronauts, it's like being on Gilligan's Island.

[dougharding]

They had so many problems prior to launch that I was surprised they even made it to ISS. If I'd been one of those astronauts, I'd have passed.

[richardbarrow]

Star liner is a cool name for a fine looking space craft.
I wouldn't ride it at Disneyland.

[dlb]

I guess they just don't trust Boeing and I don't blame them,

[fulcoma]

According to the Science Friday podcast, the positive result of the two astronauts staying behind is that all of the experiments that were not being tried will be able to because of the extra help from these "stranded" astronauts.

[rustybones]

"Open the pod bay doors, HAL!.
I am sorry, Dave. I cannot do that!

[rustybones]

Lt. COMMANDER SCOTT would have fixed this whole issue. More power Scotty!

[danielvandermerwe]

SpaceX 💰 “if it’s a Boeing I’m not going”

[Stacy.Mitchell]

that capsule door was open for a long time after it undocked and then all of the sudden it was closed??

[unkulwilly]

at this point i wouldn't get on a bus made by Boeing

[boilabum]

Can you hear me Major Tom? Floating in my tin can...

[davekostka]

I wonder if the Boeing Starliner will be a burning comet in the sky on the way back? 🌠

[MiguelGomez-byhb]

Minute 514 what the hell was that that street through space like that?

[matthouston]

NASA is done with Boeing's culture of "probably good enough".

[bobshowup]

So Bowing has shown it's true colors with building air liners so who thought they could build a spaceship if they couldn't even build an airliner with the doors just come off..lol

[GeraldMiller-mpfc]

I hope it doesn't fail and hit my home close to White Sands!

[abarnes]

9 months....Food?? Water??? Bueller? Bueller???

[seneca]

it was supposed to just be "a three-hour tour, a three-hour tour ..."

[STSWBSGFAN]

Looking at the capsule, I kept wondering "When are they gonna close that front hatch".