USA "Starliner" capsule undocks from ISS without crew

After three months in space, the crisis-ridden Starliner spacecraft is on its way back to Earth.

Shortly after midnight (CEST), the capsule from US manufacturer Boeing undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) 400 kilometers above the Earth without a crew on board, as live footage from the US space agency NASA showed. After six hours, the "Starliner" is expected to touch down in the desert of the US state of New Mexico.

Astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore should have flown back to Earth in the spaceship long ago. But an odyssey in space prevented this. The two are still on the ISS after the first manned launch of the "Starliner" at the beginning of June, although they were only supposed to spend a week on board.

Stranded on the ISS

Nasa boss Bill Nelson justified the decision by citing safety concerns about sending the Starliner back to Earth with a crew. This was because technical problems - including problems with the engines - and helium leaks had occurred after the launch. Since then, the two astronauts have been stuck on the space station and will now be brought home next year with an alternative plan. Over the next few hours, it is eagerly awaited whether the "Starliner" will return to Earth without any further problems. Experts from Boeing and NASA disagreed on how high the risk to the health of the astronauts on board would have been. Enormous forces act on space capsules during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

SpaceX as a savior in times of need

Meanwhile, Williams and Wilmore are to be brought back to Earth on another spacecraft: NASA has already made two of the four seats available for the two of them on a mission to the ISS planned from the end of September with the "Dragon" from the private space travel company SpaceX. However, the return flight is not planned until February. This means that Williams and Wilmore are likely to be in space for more than eight months in total.

SDA