The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received some positive news regarding their return to Earth. The completion of ground tests for the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in space since early June, has paved the way for planning the return journey.
An update from last week confirmed that ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has been finalized. Teams are now focusing on reviewing the data collected from these tests. The primary goal was to monitor thruster degradation in order to understand the issues that led to some thrusters being deactivated during the flight and how reactivating them may affect the overall mission.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that became non-functional. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, the tanks that contain the helium essential for controlling the thrusters experienced leaks, contributing to several delays. Despite possessing 70 hours’ worth of helium on board, the spacecraft requires only seven hours for its operations. Officials indicated earlier this month that the Starliner could return at any point if necessary, but they are not fully prepared for that scenario yet.
In their latest update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight might occur at the end of this month. The timeline has since become less specific, stating, “Boeing and NASA engineers will conduct thruster disassembly and inspections, and advance towards finalizing flight plans in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”