After months of ongoing issues and multiple delays, Boeing made the decision to bring the Starliner back to Earth without the astronauts onboard—and they did just that. The spacecraft landed safely, and at first glance, everything appeared to have gone smoothly. Many people even congratulated Boeing, with some suggesting that they could have successfully returned the astronauts with Starliner. But we were wrong. Despite the seemingly flawless landing, it became clear there were serious problems during the return mission. Multiple thruster failures, navigation system glitches, and overheating occurred, casting doubt on whether the spacecraft is truly ready for crewed missions.
While the capsule managed to land successfully at White Sands, New Mexico, NASA’s decision not to carry astronauts aboard due to the risks turned out to be wise. One of the main problems during Starliner's return was the overheating of its thrusters, which poses a significant risk, especially if astronauts were aboard. The overheating occurred because the design of the "doghouse"—a compartment that holds the thrusters—traps heat, acting like a thermal insulator. This caused higher-than-expected temperatures, which in turn led to thruster malfunctions. During the reentry, some of the thrusters failed, and while the spacecraft was able to compensate using backup thrusters, this wouldn't be ideal with humans onboard. If astronauts were inside, the overheating could be life-threatening. Thrusters are critical for the deorbit burn, a maneuver that ensures the spacecraft reenters the atmosphere at the right angle. If the thrusters malfunction during this phase, the spacecraft could lose control, leading to a dangerous descent. Additionally, overheating could damage internal components or even raise temperatures inside the capsule, making the environment unsafe for the crew. NASA engineers noted that during tests, some thrusters experienced temperatures so high that Teflon seals expanded, blocking propellant flow and reducing thrust power. Typically, these seals are designed to work under precise conditions, and once temperatures rise above safe levels—likely around 200 Celsius or higher—their performance becomes unpredictable. Even during the return mission, several thrusters underperformed due to this overheating issue, prompting NASA to focus on resolving this for future flights.
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