The crew aboard the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received encouraging news regarding their upcoming return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, has been completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting these tests before making any plans for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update shared last week stated, “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 purpose of the tests was to monitor the degradation of the thrusters, allowing teams to understand why some were deactivated during flight and the potential effects of reactivating those thrusters on the overall Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning. Leaks were discovered in the helium tanks that control the thrusters before and during the Starliner’s launch, causing several delays. Officials explained in a press conference last month that the spacecraft contains 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only requiring seven hours. While they indicated earlier this month that the craft could return home if necessary, they also stressed that preparations are not yet complete.
NASA and Boeing had previously suggested that a return flight might occur at the end of this month. However, the timeframe has now become less specific. They stated, “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.”