NASA’s Starliner capsule is set to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) and return to Earth, landing at New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range. The return, scheduled for this Friday evening, marks a significant moment for a mission that has faced multiple delays. The capsule will return empty, leaving astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams on the ISS until their return mission with SpaceX in February.

This mission, originally planned as a short test flight, was extended due to technical issues with the Starliner's thrusters and helium leaks. The return trip has been simplified to ensure safety, with reduced maneuvering time and additional thruster tests before reentry. The capsule will bring back equipment and the astronauts' Boeing spacesuits.

The delays have integrated Wilmore and Williams into the station’s crew, where they continue participating in experiments and maintenance tasks while adapting to extended weightlessness. Both astronauts, retired Navy captains, have previously completed long missions aboard the ISS and remain committed to their work in space exploration.

SpaceX is adjusting its upcoming Dragon capsule mission to accommodate Wilmore and Williams’ return, carrying two astronauts instead of the usual four. NASA continues to gather data from the Starliner mission to resolve technical issues and improve future missions.

Starliner's first test flight in 2019 encountered major setbacks, with software errors preventing the capsule from reaching the space station. This led to a repeat mission three years later, but additional issues arose, causing further delays and over $1 billion in repairs.

The capsule experienced multiple thruster malfunctions and helium leaks in the propulsion system before successfully docking with the space station. Boeing conducted thorough thruster tests both in space and on Earth, asserting that the capsule was safe for astronaut return. However, NASA disagreed, prompting a change in the mission plan.

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