The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner received encouraging news regarding its upcoming return to Earth. Recently, testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which has kept it in space since early June, has been completed. Boeing and NASA had awaited these results to begin planning the spacecraft’s return journey.
A recent update indicated, “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 aim of the tests was to assess thruster degradation to understand why certain thrusters were inactive during the flight, and to evaluate the potential impact of reactivating them.
Some thrusters had been “de-selected,” meaning they were no longer operational. The helium tanks that manage these thrusters experienced leaks before and during the Starliner’s launch, causing several delays. Officials noted that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, although it only requires seven hours for functionality. While they previously stated the craft could return to Earth immediately, officials indicated they were not fully prepared for that scenario just yet.
As of the latest update, both NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight might occur by the end of this month, although the timeline has become less precise. The statement included, “Boeing and NASA engineers will disassemble and inspect the thrusters and proceed with the final readiness reviews for Starliner’s scheduled return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”