The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew received a positive update regarding their return to Earth. Ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have prevented it from returning since early June, has recently concluded. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting these results before making any plans for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
According to a recent announcement, the testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now focused on analyzing the data. The primary goal of the tests was to investigate the degradation of thrusters to better understand the reasons behind some thrusters being deactivated during flight, along with any potential implications 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 launch of the Starliner, leaks were detected in the tanks containing helium, which controls the thrusters, causing several delays. Officials indicated that the spacecraft is currently equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, significantly more than the seven hours it requires. While they noted earlier this month that the Starliner could return immediately if necessary, they also stated that further preparations are still needed.
During the latest update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight could occur by the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will move forward with thruster disassembly and inspections, and finalize flight rationale in preparation for readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”