The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received encouraging news regarding its return to Earth. Recent successful ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it orbiting since early June, have been completed. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the results of these tests before moving forward with the planning for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An official update indicated, “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 main goal was to assess thruster degradation to understand the reasons behind the in-flight de-selection of some thrusters and to evaluate any implications of reintegrating them for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning. Issues arose from leaks in the helium tanks that control the thrusters, causing several delays. Officials revealed in a press conference last month that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium on board, despite only needing seven. While they mentioned that the Starliner could return if necessary, they also indicated that it was not yet fully prepared for the journey.
In the latest briefing, NASA and Boeing stated that a return flight could potentially happen by the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific, with the statement: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue 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.”