International Space Station

Boeing's beleaguered space capsule left the International Space Station at about 5 pm central time, without its astronaut crew. NASA's two test pilots stayed behind at the space station as the Starliner capsule undocked Friday and aimed for a touchdown in New Mexico. Its exit follows months of turmoil over its safety. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams travelled to orbit aboard an Alabama built Atlas-V rocket. APR News Director Pat Duggins joined CBS News anchor Lana Zak for national coverage of the first phase of Starliner’s return to Earth—the undocking of the capsule from the International Space Station.

The astronauts who flew aboard an Alabama built Atlas-V rocket, will now spend extra time at the International Space Station. Both are Navy test pilots who have ridden out long missions before.

NASA’s decision to land two astronauts aboard a SpaceX capsule, and not the Starliner craft they used to go to orbit, is considered a blow to Boeing. Despite all the controversy surrounding NASA’s new spacecraft, the Alabama built rocket that carried the Starliner to space did that job.

NASA says the two astronaut test pilots who flew to orbit aboard the new Starliner, which was boosted by an Alabama built rocket, will not return to Earth aboard the new spacecraft.

NASA says chances are growing that two test pilots who flew a new Boeing capsule to the International Space Station in June may have to switch to SpaceX for a ride home. Officials said Wednesday it's still possible astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams can return aboard Boeing's Starliner next month. That decision could also determine if there’s a future in manned spaceflight for the Alabama built Atlas-V rocket.

Vice President, and Democratic Presidential front runner, Kamala Harris is reportedly considering U.S. Senator Mark Kelly as her running mate in the race for the White House. The U.S. Senator from Arizona is a former NASA astronaut as is his twin brother Scott. The Marshall Space Flight Center’s Payload Operations Integration Center in Huntsville worked with both space veterans during a unique one-year mission aboard the International Space Station.

Engineers at NASA and Boeing continue troubleshooting the new Starliner space capsule that’s docked to the International Space Station. One issue that appears unresolved is the possible impact on jobs here in Alabama.

The FAA has reportedly grounded SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket after a launch left a series of internet satellites in the wrong orbit. This may have implications for Boeing’s problematic Starliner and the Alabama built Atlas Five rocket that boosted the new space capsule to orbit

NASA is planning to launch its newest spacecraft, called Starliner on Saturday, if all goes well. The gumdrop shaped vehicle is sitting on top of an Alabama built Atlas-V rocket. Engineers have been troubleshooting a helium leak on one of the Starliner’s jet thrusters. The mission is also notable because no astronauts have ever flown on an Alabama built Atlas-V. This type of rocket was reserved, in the past, only for unmanned payloads like satellites and deep space probes. No astronauts have flown on rockets of this type since Project Gemini in the 1960’s that paved the way for the Apollo manned moon landings. John Glenn was one.

NASA, Boeing, and rocket builder United Launch Alliance say the new target date for the launch of the new Starliner spacecraft is June first. The gumdrop shaped vehicle is sitting on top of an Atlas-V rocket built in Decatur, Alabama.