The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received positive news regarding their return home. Recent successful ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have been in space since early June, have been completed. Both Boeing and NASA were awaiting these test results to begin planning the spacecraft’s return journey.
A recent update confirmed that the ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has concluded, and teams are now focusing on reviewing the data. The testing aimed to analyze thruster degradation to better understand why some thrusters were deemed inoperative during the flight and to evaluate the potential impacts of returning those thrusters to service for the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Issues with helium tanks, which control the thrusters, caused leaks before and during the Starliner launch, resulting in multiple delays. Last month, officials noted that the spacecraft has 70 hours’ worth of helium on board, significantly exceeding the seven hours it needs for operation. Although they mentioned earlier this month that the ship could return now if necessary, they indicated that they are not yet fully prepared for that eventuality.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could happen by the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific. Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections and will move forward with finalizing the flight rationale to prepare for readiness reviews for Starliner’s eventual return to Earth, including commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams.