Those stranded Starliner astronauts are finally coming back to Earth, with a touchdown expected on Tuesday evening.Coverage begins on Monday night at around 10:45PM ET, with streams available on NASA’s website and via the NASA+ app.Monday night’s stream will focus on the hatch closing and the undocking procedure.The stream will go dark until 4:45PM ET on Tuesday as the crew approaches splashdown.
The arrival is scheduled for around 5:57PM ET and a live press conference is set for 7:30PM ET.The two NASA astronauts returning (Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore) were part of Boeing’s Starliner crew to the ISS.This was supposed to be a one-week stay but, just like Gilligan and the rest, was extended to nine months when the ship was deemed unfit for a crewed return to Earth.Five of the thrusters failed enroute.
This is forcing the pair to hitch a ride on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.SpaceX also ran into a delay, as this mission was originally scheduled for February.The Starliner returned, but without the crew.NASA planned to retrieve Williams and Wilmore back in September via a crewed mission with two empty seats.
However, that launch faced technical issues and was delayed until April.This partnership with SpaceX will bring the pair home a couple of weeks early.
