The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received some positive updates regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters has been successfully completed, paving the way for planning the vessel’s homecoming. This testing was essential as it provided insights into the thruster performance during the time the spacecraft has remained in orbit since early June.
According to a recent update, the tests conducted at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico aimed to examine the degradation of the Starliner’s Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters. This understanding will help clarify why some thrusters failed in flight and assess the potential impacts of reactivation on the remaining systems during the Crew Flight Test.
Some thrusters were marked as “de-selected,” indicating they had ceased to function due to issues stemming from leaks in the helium tanks controlling them prior to and during launch. Officials noted that the spacecraft holds 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only requiring seven for its operations. While it was previously mentioned that the craft could return immediately if necessary, the teams expressed they are not fully prepared for that eventuality just yet.
NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight could occur by the end of this month, but the timeline has now become less specific. The latest statement revealed that engineers are moving forward with disassembling and inspecting the thrusters while finalizing plans to ensure readiness for Starliner’s eventual return to Earth, with Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams aboard in the upcoming weeks.