The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding their impending return to Earth. Recently, ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which had been the reason for its prolonged stay in space since early June, was completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting the results of these tests to initiate plans for the spacecraft’s return.
An update provided last week confirmed that 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 reviewing the gathered data. The primary aim of the testing was to analyze thruster performance issues, specifically to understand why some thrusters were rendered inactive during flight, and to assess the implications of potentially reinstating those thrusters.
The term “de-selected” refers to certain thrusters that failed to operate effectively. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, there were reports of leaking helium tanks, which contributed to multiple delays. Officials noted last month that the spacecraft contains 70 hours’ worth of helium, significantly more than the seven hours it requires. Although they stated earlier this month that the Starliner could return immediately if necessary, it was emphasized that preparations were still ongoing.
In their most recent statement, NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight could occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has since become less specific, with the companies stating: “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed 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.”