Starliner undocked from the ISS

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft has undocked from the International Space Station in unmanned mode, NASA is broadcasting live.

"The undocking has been confirmed, the Starliner begins its return to Earth," the Mission Control Center in Houston reported.

The undocking command was given at 18.04 US East Coast time (1.04 Moscow time). After the ship, due to 12 short-term inclusions of its engines, has departed to a safe distance from the station, about 200 meters, it begins its return to Earth.

The Starliner's landing in New Mexico should take place in six hours, approximately at midnight Washington time (7.00 Moscow time). Waste materials and cargo from the ISS should be returned to Earth on board the spacecraft, NASA said.

Created by Boeing under a contract with NASA, the Starliner went on its first manned flight with NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on June 5. It was planned that the test mission would last about a week, but due to problems detected during docking with the station in the ship's engine and the subsequent leakage of helium, the test was delayed. Specialists failed to eliminate the identified problems and it was decided that the Starliner would return to Earth without a crew. NASA test astronauts Wilmore and Williams will remain on the ISS until February and return home on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft.