The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew received promising news regarding their return journey. Ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, has recently concluded. Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to finish before planning the spacecraft’s re-entry.
An update announced that “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 tests aimed to identify reasons for the failure of some thrusters during flight and the potential impacts of restoring them to service on the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Issues with the helium tanks controlling the thrusters, which both leaked prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, resulted in several delays. During a press conference last month, officials indicated that while the ship has a significant helium supply onboard—70 hours’ worth, despite only needing seven—they are not yet ready to bring the spacecraft back.
Previously, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight might occur at the end of this month; however, the timeline has since become less certain. Engineers at Boeing and NASA will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections and finalize the necessary preparations for Starliner’s anticipated return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.