Boeing Starliner capsule successfully lands after orbital flight test

The Boeing Starliner capsule landed successfully in the New Mexico desert on Wednesday, May 25, 2023, after a six-day orbital flight test.

The landing marks a major milestone for Boeing's commercial crew program, which is developing a spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS).

The Starliner capsule, which was uncrewed for this test flight, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 19, 2023. The capsule spent two days traveling to the ISS, where it docked with the station on May 21, 2023.

During its stay at the ISS, the Starliner capsule conducted a series of tests, including docking and undocking procedures, and transferring cargo. The capsule also performed a fly-around of the ISS, capturing images of the station and its surroundings.

On May 25, 2023, the Starliner capsule undocked from the ISS and began its journey back to Earth. The capsule entered the Earth's atmosphere and landed in the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico at 6:49 p.m. EDT.

The successful landing of the Starliner capsule is a significant step forward for Boeing's commercial crew program. The company is now one step closer to flying astronauts to the ISS on the Starliner capsule.

The next step for Boeing is to conduct a crewed flight test of the Starliner capsule. The company is planning to launch the first crewed flight test in 2023. If the crewed flight test is successful, Boeing will be able to begin flying astronauts to the ISS on a regular basis.