The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, have been completed. Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to plan the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update released last week stated, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now focusing on data reviews.” The objective of the tests was to assess thruster performance degradation, which will help clarify why some thrusters were inactive during the flight and the potential impact of reactivating them on the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to certain thrusters that ceased functioning. Helium tanks that regulate the thrusters experienced leaks prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, causing multiple delays. Officials announced last month that the spacecraft holds 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only requiring seven. Although they indicated earlier this month that the capsule could return immediately if necessary, they also mentioned they were not fully prepared for it at this time.
In their most recent update, NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight could occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less defined: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue thruster disassembly and inspections, and proceed with finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s anticipated return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”