The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. The ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, essential for its re-entry, has been completed after keeping it in orbit since early June. Boeing and NASA had been waiting for these tests to be finalized before starting preparations for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update shared recently 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 analysis.” The objective of the tests was to assess thruster degradation to gain insights into why some thrusters were deemed inoperable during the flight and the potential implications of reinstating them.
Some thrusters were “de-selected,” indicating they malfunctioned. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, there were issues with the helium tanks that manage the thrusters, which contributed to several delays. Officials stated last month that the spacecraft carries 70 hours of helium, although only seven hours are necessary for operations. While they indicated earlier this month that the Starliner could return immediately if required, they clarified that they are not fully prepared for that eventuality.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight could potentially occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline is now less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with the disassembly and inspection of the thrusters and work towards finalizing the flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth, with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”