Marshall Space Flight Center

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.

A tribute to Huntsville's scientific legacy in astrophysics is taking place on Aug. 16 dubbed Legacy of the Invisible. The event is celebrating the Rocket City’s newest art installation inspired by the area’s scientists and engineers.

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.

NASA and Boeing continue to try to reassure the press and the public on the new Starliner space capsule. The vehicle was boosted to orbit aboard an Atlas five rocket built in Alabama in early June. The spacecraft has been docked at the International Space Station since then.

Mission managers with NASA and Boeing decided to keep the new Starliner spacecraft docked to the International Space Station until at least early July. The capsule, that was boosted to orbit by an Alabama built Atlas-V rocket, is experiencing problems with the thrusters the two astronaut crew members need to make the fiery trip through Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their mission.

Mission managers for the first flight of NASA’s Starliner spacecraft, with an astronaut crew on board, are preparing to fire seven of the capsule’s eight jet thrusters. The space agency is also delaying the vehicles departure from the International Space Station again to no earlier than this coming Saturday.

NASA says the planned splash down of its new Starliner crew capsule is now set for June 18th. Astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams will continue to check out the vehicle, which the space agency says has five helium leaks after the trip to orbit aboard an Alabama built Atlas-V rocket.