The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received some positive news regarding its return to Earth. Recently completed ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters marked a significant milestone, as the Starliner has been stranded in space since early June. Boeing and NASA were awaiting these test results before initiating plans for the spacecraft’s journey home.
An update from last week announced, “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 testing aimed to understand thruster degradation, which would help clarify why some thrusters were deemed inoperable during flight and evaluate the potential effects of bringing them back online for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
Officials explained that “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. The helium tanks that regulate the thrusters experienced leaks before and during the Starliner’s launch, contributing to several delays. During a press conference last month, it was revealed that the spacecraft carries 70 hours’ worth of helium, although only seven hours are necessary. While officials mentioned earlier this month that the Starliner could return to Earth immediately if required, they indicated that preparations for such a return are still in progress.
According to a previous update from NASA and Boeing, a return flight could occur by the end of this month. However, the timeline is now less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections and proceed with finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth, which will include commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the weeks ahead.”