The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left the vehicle stranded in space since early June, has been completed. Boeing and NASA were awaiting these results before formulating plans for the Starliner’s homecoming.
An update shared last week indicated, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now focusing on data reviews.” The objective of the test was to understand the reasons behind some thrusters being deemed inoperable during the flight and to assess the potential impacts of reactivating those thrusters on the overall Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning. The helium tanks responsible for controlling the thrusters were found to be leaking before and during the launch, resulting in multiple delays. Officials stated at a press conference last month that the Starliner had 70 hours’ worth of helium on board, significantly more than the seven hours it actually requires. While they mentioned earlier this month that the spacecraft could return to Earth if necessary, they indicated that they are not fully prepared for that to occur just yet.
In their latest update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight could take place at the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific, with the statement: “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections and advance towards finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s expected return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”