The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received promising news regarding their return to Earth. Recent tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in space since early June, were successfully completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting these tests before they could start preparing for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
According to a recent update, “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 analysis.” The objective of the tests was to assess thruster degradation in order to understand why some thrusters were rendered inoperative during the flight and to evaluate the implications of potentially reinstating those thrusters for the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to those thrusters that failed to function. Before and during the Starliner’s launch, the helium tanks used to control the thrusters were found to be leaking, causing several delays. Although officials stated that the spacecraft has a sufficient helium supply for its needs, they also indicated that it is not yet prepared for a return.
Previously, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight might be possible by the end of this month. However, the timeline has since become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections and continue to finalize 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.”