The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return home. Recently, ground tests on the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, were completed. Boeing and NASA had been waiting for these tests to plan for the spacecraft’s journey back to Earth.
An update provided last week 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 purpose of the tests was to assess thruster performance and understand why some thrusters malfunctioned during flight, as well as the potential effects of reactivating those thrusters on the Crew Flight Test.
Officials clarified that “de-selected” refers to thrusters that have ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, there were issues with the helium tanks that control the thrusters, leading to several delays. During a press conference last month, officials noted that the spacecraft carries 70 hours’ worth of helium, while only seven hours are required. Although they indicated that the craft could return at any time if necessary, they also suggested that they are not fully prepared for its return just yet.
In their latest update, NASA and Boeing hinted that a potential return flight could occur by the end of this month. However, the timeline has become more ambiguous: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections, moving forward with finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”