The Boeing capsule has departed for Earth and is set to touch down in the New Mexico desert, leaving two astronauts behind
The Boeing capsule has begun its descent back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS), leaving two astronauts stranded.

The capsule had previously ferried the two astronauts up to the ISS for a routine stay on the station.

Technical issues with the capsule meant that it would not be safe for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to use it to make their scheduled return.

Now the pair will have to wait until February 2025 for the arrival of a SpaceX Dragon capsule to ferry them back to Earth.

While the Boeing Starliner capsule was not deemed safe to transport humans, it will be able to depart back to Earth without any passengers on board.

One of NASA’s policies includes having a duplicate of space-going vehicles on earth.

This makes sure that the agency has a vehicle that it can study in the event that something goes wrong with a craft in flight.

The craft has now set off from the ISS and will make a journey of around six hours..