The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received positive news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters have been completed, marking a crucial step for the Boeing and NASA teams who had been awaiting these results to plan the Starliner’s homecoming.
According to an update last week, the testing at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico focused on analyzing the Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters. The goal was to investigate why some thrusters failed during the mission and to assess the implications of reactivating them for the pending Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to certain thrusters ceasing to operate. Issues arose prior to and during the Starliner launch due to leaking helium tanks that control these thrusters, resulting in multiple delays. Officials noted last month that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, far exceeding the seven hours required for its operation. Although they indicated earlier this month that the Starliner could return if necessary, they clarified that further preparations are needed before that can happen.
In the latest briefing, NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight could be scheduled for the end of the month, but the timeline has since become less definitive. The engineers are now set to disassemble and inspect the thrusters while preparing a final flight rationale to support readiness for the Starliner’s return with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.