Boeing's new Starliner unmanned
spacecraft returned to Earth on Sunday, landing in the New
Mexico desert in the
United States six days early after a clock problem scuppered a rendezvous with the International Space Station.
![Boeing spacecraft lands in New Mexico after aborted mission](http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/be977ffd74eb54bee12ee17f800d553d811fee5f.jpg)
NASA hailed the aborted flight as a success, despite its failure to reach the ISS on what was meant to be a final dress rehearsal before a crewed mission.
Images broadcast by
NASA showed the spacecraft touching down, cushioned by airbags, after a pre-dawn descent slowed by three large parachutes.