The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters has been completed at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. This successful testing was a prerequisite for Boeing and NASA to start planning the spacecraft’s homecoming.
The testing focused on the Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters, which had been inoperable since early June. The goal was to analyze thruster degradation and understand the reasons behind the in-flight failure of some thrusters, as well as any implications their reactivation might have on the overall performance for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
Some thrusters were “de-selected,” meaning they malfunctioned during operations. Issues arose from leaks in the helium tanks that control these thrusters, contributing to delays in the mission. Officials previously stated that the Starliner is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite requiring only seven for its operations. While they noted that a return could technically occur at this moment if necessary, a full return is still not considered imminent.
The latest information from NASA and Boeing indicates that a return flight could potentially occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has now become less specific. Engineers from Boeing and NASA will conduct thruster disassembly and inspections, while also finalizing the necessary preparations for Starliner’s safe return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.