NASA is scheduled to undock Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, June 15. The spacecraft will then return to Earth bringing home NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. Continue reading to find out how to watch the Starliner return to Earth live.
Arrival and extension of the mission
The Starliner arrived at the ISS on June 6, after being launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
The mission, which was initially going to last a week, was extended due to the ship’s control thrusters malfunctioning during the final approach to the ISS.
Additionally, NASA has also been investigating five helium leaks found on the Starliner during its trip to the ISS. These leaks and thruster malfunctions have been carefully evaluated to minimize risks.
With these issues resolved, NASA plans to begin disconnecting Starliner from the ISS at 10:10 PM ET on Tuesday, June 25. After disconnection, Williams and Wilmore will travel on the craft for nearly seven hours before landing in the desert at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 4:51 AM ET on Wednesday, June 26.
How to watch the return of Starliner live
For those who want to follow the event in real time, NASA will broadcast both the undocking and the landing live through various media: NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app and its official YouTube channel.
It will begin by broadcasting the undocking, then how it begins to move away from the ISS – which is about 400km away from Earth – and on Wednesday, it will show the final stages of the Starliner’s flight, including the parachute landing in the desert.
During the broadcast, live conversations between the astronauts and the mission team will also be included.
Possible changes
Remember that there were several delays in the Starliner takeoff, so there could also be time and date changes. However, NASA will update any changes on its website and social networks.