The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received some positive news regarding their return to Earth. The recent completion of ground testing on the spacecraft’s thrusters is a significant step towards planning its homecoming after being in orbit since early June.
According to a recent update, the testing of the Starliner’s Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters at New Mexico’s White Sands Test Facility has concluded. Teams will now focus on reviewing the data collected from the tests. The main goal was to assess thruster degradation to better understand the issues that led to some thrusters being deactivated during the flight and to evaluate the feasibility of reactivating them for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to certain thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the launch, the tanks that supply helium for the thrusters experienced leaks, causing several delays. Officials noted that the Starliner is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, even though it only requires seven hours for operations. While they indicated last month that the spacecraft could return immediately if necessary, they have emphasized that they are not yet ready for its homecoming.
In the latest update from NASA and Boeing, a potential return flight was anticipated at the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific. Moving forward, engineers will disassemble and inspect the thrusters while preparing for the necessary readiness reviews ahead of the Starliner’s return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the forthcoming weeks.