The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their impending return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in orbit since early June, has been successfully completed. Boeing and NASA had been waiting for these tests to finalize plans for the vehicle’s homecoming.
An update released last week indicated that the ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is finished, allowing teams to begin data analysis. The primary aim of the tests was to study thruster performance to understand why certain thrusters were rendered inoperative during flight and to evaluate the potential impact of reactivating them on the remainder of the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, there were issues with tanks containing helium that control the thrusters, which resulted in several delays. At a press conference last month, officials noted that the spacecraft carried 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only requiring seven. While they previously stated the craft could return immediately if necessary, they also clarified they are not fully prepared for this to happen just yet.
In the most recent update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight might occur by the end of this month. However, the timeline now appears less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections and will move ahead with finalizing flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”