After months of safety concerns, Boeing's new astronaut capsule, Starliner, departed the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday without its crew, beginning its return journey to Earth.

NASA's two test pilots, who were initially slated to return on Starliner, will remain aboard the ISS until next year. The capsule's return flight is expected to take around six hours, with a planned nighttime landing in the New Mexico desert.

"She's on her way home," astronaut Suni Williams radioed after Starliner successfully undocked from the ISS.

According to NASA engineers, the capsule's separation maneuvers went smoothly, ensuring a clean departure from the station.

Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore were originally scheduled to fly Starliner back to Earth in June, a week after launching aboard it. However, thruster malfunctions and helium leaks disrupted their ride to the ISS.

NASA ultimately determined it was too risky to bring the astronauts back on Starliner. Instead, the fully automated capsule left with empty seats, blue spacesuits and some old station equipment. SpaceX is now set to bring the astronauts back in late February 2025, turning what was planned as an eight-day mission into a stay of over eight months.

Starliner is expected to initiate its deorbit burn at 11:17 p.m. Eastern Time. The spacecraft is scheduled to land at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at around 12:03 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday, concluding the mission.

(With input from AP, Xinhua)