The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding its return to Earth. The spacecraft’s thruster tests, which have kept it in orbit since early June, have recently been completed. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the results of these tests to start planning the ship’s homeward journey.
A recent update indicated, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now focusing on data analysis.” The testing aimed to understand the degradation of the thrusters that were deactivated during flight and assess the potential impacts of bringing those thrusters back into operation for the Crew Flight Test.
Officials clarified that “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, helium tanks responsible for controlling the thrusters were found to be leaking, causing several delays. In a press briefing last month, officials noted that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium onboard, even though only seven hours are necessary. While they previously stated that Starliner could return immediately if required, they indicated they were not fully prepared for that contingency.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight might happen at the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will begin disassembling the thrusters and conducting inspections, while also finalizing 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.”