The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft has received some positive news regarding its return to Earth. Recently, ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters was completed, marking a critical step as Boeing and NASA prepare for its homecoming. The Starliner has been in space since early June, and the testing was essential before planning its return trip.
According to an update provided last week, “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 reviewing the data.” The testing aimed to investigate the degradation of the thrusters and to understand why some had to be rendered inoperative during the flight, as well as the implications of possibly reinstating them for the upcoming crew flight.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that became non-functional. There were issues with the helium tanks that control these thrusters, leading to previous delays in the Starliner’s launch. Officials indicated that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only requiring seven for its operations. While they stated earlier this month that the craft could return to Earth if necessary, they also noted that they are not fully prepared for it to do so yet.
In their most recent update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could potentially occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline remains somewhat uncertain: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections, and move forward with finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s scheduled return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”