The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received encouraging news regarding its potential return to Earth. Ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters has now been completed, a development that Boeing and NASA were waiting on before making plans for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
Last week’s update indicated that the testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has concluded, and teams are now focusing on reviewing the data gathered. The primary goal of these tests was to assess thruster performance issues to understand why some thrusters were rendered inoperative during the flight and to evaluate the implications of reactivating those thrusters for the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the failure of certain thrusters to operate as intended. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, leaks from the helium tanks that manage the thrusters caused several delays. Officials reported last month that the spacecraft has a helium supply that will last 70 hours, far more than the seven hours it actually requires. While they stated that the Starliner could technically return to Earth if necessary, they also pointed out that they are not quite ready for that to occur.
Previously, NASA and Boeing hinted that a return flight might happen by the end of this month, but the timeframe has since become less specific. Current efforts will involve disassembling and inspecting the thrusters, as well as finalizing the necessary checks for Starliner’s scheduled return to Earth, which will include commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the weeks ahead.