The Boeing CST-100 Starliner team has received positive news regarding the spacecraft’s return to Earth. Recently, the ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters was completed, which had left it in orbit since early June. Boeing and NASA were awaiting these test results before organizing the vessel’s homecoming.
An update shared late last week confirmed, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now turning their attention to data reviews.” The aim of the tests was to evaluate thruster performance and identify the reasons behind some thrusters being deactivated during flight, as well as the potential impact of reactivating them on the ongoing Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that have malfunctioned. Issues related to helium tanks, which control the thrusters, had earlier caused multiple delays before and during the Starliner launch. Officials reported that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, although only seven hours are required for its operations. While they indicated earlier this month that the craft could potentially return to Earth immediately if necessary, they clarified that preparations are still ongoing.
NASA and Boeing previously suggested that a return flight could happen by the end of this month, but the timeline has since become less specific. The latest statement mentioned, “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.”