The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding its return to Earth. Recently completed ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in orbit since early June, have allowed Boeing and NASA to begin planning the vessel’s journey back home.
An update from last week confirmed the completion of the ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, with teams now reviewing the data. The tests aimed to understand the degradation of the thrusters, particularly the reasons behind the in-flight deselection of some thrusters and the implications of potentially returning them to service for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
“Deselected” refers to the failure of certain thrusters to operate correctly. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, the helium tanks that control the thrusters experienced leaks, resulting in several delays. Officials indicated last month that the Starliner has 70 hours of helium onboard despite only needing seven for its operations. While they mentioned the craft could return immediately if necessary, they also noted that they are not fully prepared for that eventuality.
NASA and Boeing previously suggested a potential return flight by the end of this month, but the timeline has since become less defined. It was stated that Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, as well as finalize flight rationale for readiness reviews in anticipation of the Starliner’s return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.