The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received positive news regarding their imminent return to Earth. The completion of ground testing for the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in space since early June, marks a significant development. Boeing and NASA were awaiting these tests before initiating plans for the Starliner’s return trip.
A recent update expressed, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now focusing on data reviews.” The objective of the tests was to examine thruster degradation in order to better understand why certain thrusters were deactivated during the flight and assess the implications of reactivating them for the overall Crew Flight Test.
Officials clarified that “de-selected” refers to certain thrusters that had ceased functioning. The helium tanks regulating the thrusters had experienced leaks before and during the launch, which contributed to multiple delays. Despite having 70 hours’ worth of helium onboard—far exceeding the seven hours required—officials noted last month that although the craft could return to Earth immediately if necessary, they are not yet prepared for that to happen.
At their last update, NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight could occur by the end of this month. However, that timeline has become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will now proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and work on finalizing flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”