The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner received positive news regarding its return to Earth. Ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters has recently concluded, which had been a crucial step before beginning preparations for the vessel’s re-entry. The Starliner has remained in space since early June waiting for these tests.
An update indicated, “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 turning their attention to data reviews.” The objective of the tests was to analyze thruster degradation to understand the reasons behind the in-flight failure of certain thrusters and assess the potential implications of bringing those thrusters back online for the crewed flight test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning during the mission. Issues arose as the helium tanks, which control the thruster operation, were found to be leaking, both prior to and during the launch of Starliner, causing several delays. At a recent press conference, officials stated the spacecraft carries 70 hours of helium, despite only needing seven for its operations. Although they confirmed that the spacecraft could return at any moment, they noted that they are not prepared for an immediate landing.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight could be scheduled for the end of the month; however, the timeline has since become less specific. The engineers will now proceed with the disassembly and inspection of the thrusters and finalize preparations for the readiness reviews necessary for the Starliner’s planned return to Earth, which will include commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.