The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received encouraging news regarding its return to Earth. Recent tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in orbit since early June, have been finalized. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the completion of these tests to start planning the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update from last week announced the completion of ground testing for a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, stating that teams are now focused on reviewing the collected data. The purpose of the tests was to investigate thruster performance issues, specifically understanding why certain thrusters were rendered inoperable during flight and the potential effects of reactivating those thrusters on the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to some thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, the helium tanks that manage the thrusters experienced leaks, causing multiple postponements. Officials mentioned that the spacecraft holds 70 hours of helium, though it only requires seven hours for its operations. While they indicated this month that the spacecraft could return to Earth if necessary, they also noted it is not fully prepared for that situation.
According to the latest update, NASA and Boeing now suggest that a return flight could occur by the end of the month, although that timeline has become less specific. “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and work on finalizing the flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s anticipated return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks,” the statement concluded.