The team managing the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received promising news regarding its return to Earth. Recent tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in orbit since early June, have now been completed. Boeing and NASA were awaiting these tests to start formulating plans for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update last week indicated, “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 analyses.” The purpose of the tests was to investigate thruster performance issues to better understand why some thrusters were inactive during flight and to assess the implications of potentially reactivating them for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the failure of certain thrusters to operate. Problems arose with helium tanks that control the thrusters leaking before and during the Starliner’s launch, resulting in several delays. Officials noted in a recent press conference that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours of helium, despite only requiring seven for operation. Although they mentioned that the vehicle could return at any moment if necessary, they expressed that they are not yet prepared for this eventuality.
In their latest update, NASA and Boeing remarked that a return could occur toward the end of this month; however, the timeline is now less specific. “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with the disassembly and inspection of the thrusters and work on finalizing flight justifications in preparation for readiness reviews for Starliner’s expected return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”