The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received encouraging news regarding its return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in space since early June, has been successfully completed. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the results of these tests before initiating plans for the vehicle’s homecoming.
An update stated, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now focusing on data reviews.” The testing aimed to analyze thruster degradation to understand why some thrusters were disabled during flight and the potential implications of reactivating them for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning. Issues arose from helium tanks that control the thrusters, which were found to be leaking before and during the Starliner launch, causing several delays. At a recent press conference, officials confirmed the spacecraft has 70 hours’ worth of helium onboard, significantly more than the seven hours it needs. While they noted that the Starliner could return at any time if necessary, they indicated that more preparation is required.
In their previous update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has now become less specific. The latest statement mentioned that “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and continue finalizing flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”