The Boeing CST-100 Starliner team has received promising news regarding the spacecraft’s return to Earth. Recent tests on the craft’s thrusters, which have been inactive since early June, have been completed. Boeing and NASA had been waiting for these tests to finalize plans for the vessel’s homeward journey.
An update released last week stated, “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 goal of these tests was to analyze thruster performance issues, particularly to understand the reasons behind the malfunction of certain thrusters during flight and to evaluate the impact of potentially reintegrating them.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Issues with helium tanks that control these thrusters resulted in delays both before and during the launch. Officials noted last month that the spacecraft carries 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only needing seven. While they indicated earlier this month that the Starliner could return immediately if necessary, they clarified that they are not fully prepared for that to happen yet.
In the latest update from NASA and Boeing, a potential return flight was suggested for the end of this month. However, the timeline remains uncertain. The statement added, “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections, and will move forward with finalizing flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth, with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, in the coming weeks.”