The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew received positive news regarding their eventual return to Earth. Testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which had left it in orbit since early June, has recently concluded. Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to finalize their plans for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has been completed, prompting teams to shift their focus to reviewing the data. This testing aimed to assess the degradation of the thrusters to understand why some were inoperable during flight and the potential effects of reactivating those thrusters on the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, leaks were found in the helium tanks that regulate the thrusters, causing numerous delays. Officials noted that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium available, even though only seven hours are required for operation. While they indicated earlier this month that the spacecraft could return immediately if necessary, they also stated that preparations are not fully aligned for that to happen just yet.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight might occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has since become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections, while finalizing flight rationale in anticipation of readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”