Boeing's Starliner returning to Earth without passengers amid safety concerns

NASA has decided to fly Boeing's Starliner spacecraft back from the International Space Station without astronauts due to safety concerns. The spacecraft is expected to land in New Mexico just after midnight, weather permitting, marking another setback in the troubled multi-billion-dollar program.

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[efc]

If Starliner is lost on the return then Boeing should never be trusted again --- Profit over safety

[bravevoice]

Why isn't Congress questioning Boeing's Quality Assurance and Testing and Reliability officers who signed off on this mess?

[darkguardian]

Starliner can still play a role as ISS Garbage Scow…
Hauling space baggies back to Earth… (Quark TV show 1977)
😂

[isaiahchatman]

Whats scarier, being stuck in space? Or Boeing's severence package? 😨

[tetchuma]

It says a lot about how far Boeing has fallen when astronauts are advised not to fly home in their spacecraft.
It seems Boeing forgot to consider the effect of the suns rays on the ship in outer space…

Just, wow, Boeing.

[jeffruebens]

Boeing has had so many questionable problems the last few years, especially 2 whistle blowers dying mysteriously during depositions. Their bean counters have over-ruled their engineers for bigger profits and more safety risks.

[khel]

I remember when starliner astronauts are very confident with their spacecraft and telling to the media before they launched they even said that they are much confident with starliner than the dragon😂

[stevenr]

So much for sending them and returning them SAFELY to earth.😮 💯 % FAILURE on contract. 😡

[SciHeartJourney]

I think it's reckless and irresponsible for them to land anywhere near a populated area, like the COUNTRY.
They should be taking their RISKS over the OCEAN, not our cities.
I hope I'm WRONG about my fears 😳, but I still think it's wrong to take such RISKS with a spacecraft KNOWN to have thruster issues.
They cannot claim to have perfect control when they've just admitted it isn't SAFE enough for human flight. 🖕🤬

[victorkrawchuk]

I think the news article is mis-characterizing the change in RCS thruster usage. Starliner's uncrewed flight automation software will implement shorter firing pulses, as well as a shorter ISS undocking protocol, to test Boeing's conclusion that the overheating problem can be circumvented with programming and procedural changes. They're not just using the thrusters less in the blind hope that they won't fail again, it sounds like they've tested the changes on the ground and they'll probably be good enough to be a standard feature in future Starliner missions. But I understand NASA's reluctance to take risks in this regard, after the Challenger and Columbia disasters jobs are probably on the line as well as lives.

[Mmdmade]

Total waste of time, energy and resources. All of it

[isaiahchatman]

In other words: we dont trust Boeing anymore, we'll send the hull down, and Elon can try again in February 😂

[zeke]

If the astronauts hadn’t chickened out, they could be at Applebees right now

[kittywalker]

Would the astronauts have been okay, if they came back in it?

[reconscout]

Even the people reporting this is a psyop. You can hear the embarrassment in his voice

[ashergoney]

Bull Working Fly Swatter Here from There In Space By Space Travel and Astral Travel in Outer Space..