The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew recently received positive news regarding their return to Earth. Ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in space since early June, have been completed. This crucial testing was necessary for Boeing and NASA to start planning the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update shared last week confirmed the conclusion of the ground testing for the Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, with teams now focusing on reviewing the data. The objective of these tests was to investigate thruster degradation, helping to understand why certain thrusters were not in operation during the flight and assess the potential impacts of reinstating them on the Crew Flight Test.
Some thrusters had been deemed “de-selected,” meaning they had malfunctioned. Issues arose from leaking helium tanks that control the thrusters, causing several delays prior to and during the Starliner’s launch. Officials mentioned last month that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium despite only requiring seven. While they stated that the craft could return immediately if necessary, they also indicated that they were not fully prepared for its return.
In their most recent update, NASA and Boeing suggested a possible return flight by the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less defined: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections, and proceed with finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”