The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received positive news regarding its eventual return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in space since early June, has been completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting the conclusion of these tests to start planning the spacecraft’s journey back home.
An update released last week noted, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now turning their attention to data reviews.” The tests aimed to understand thruster degradation that led to some thrusters being deselected during flight and assess the potential impact of reactivating those thrusters on the overall Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” indicates that certain thrusters failed to operate. Issues with helium tanks, which control the thrusters, resulted in leaks before and during the Starliner’s launch, causing several delays. During a press conference last month, officials stated the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium onboard, although only seven hours are needed for return. They mentioned earlier this month that the craft could return immediately if necessary, but clarified that they were not fully prepared for its return yet.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight might take place at the end of this month, but the timeline has now become less specific. “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and move forward with finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s nominal return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”