Several issues with the spacecraft have kept Needham native Suni Williams on the International Space Station since last summer. Their trip was originally supposed to last a week.

The Crew 10 launch Friday began the final chapter for the Starliner crew whose one-week mission stretched into an over nine-month saga.

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft successfully completed its uncrewed flight back to Earth, NASA announced overnight. The return ended the Starliner’s most recent flight test months later than intended and leaves its original crew, NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams, aboard the International Space Station until next year.