The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news about their imminent return to Earth. Recently completed ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in space since early June, has paved the way for Boeing and NASA to begin preparations for the vessel’s homeward journey.
Boeing is looking to raise $19 billion to address ongoing delivery delays and workforce disruptions.
According to a recent update, the ground 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 analyzing the data. The primary goal of the tests was to investigate thruster degradation to understand why certain thrusters failed during flight and to evaluate the implications of potentially reintegrating those thrusters into service for the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning. Issues arose from leaking helium tanks that control the thrusters prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, resulting in numerous delays. Officials indicated last month that the spacecraft has enough helium on board for 70 hours, while it only requires seven for its operations. They mentioned that while the craft could technically return to Earth immediately if necessary, it is not yet fully prepared for that.
In the most recent update, NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight could be scheduled for the end of this month. However, that timeline has become less specific. “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with the disassembly and inspection of the thrusters and advance in 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,” the update stated.