The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, has recently been completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting the results of these tests to begin planning for the spacecraft’s re-entry.
The update from Boeing 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 focusing on data reviews.” The tests aimed to investigate thruster performance issues that caused some units to be deactivated during flight, as well as to assess the potential impact of reinstating those thrusters on the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
Certain thrusters were labeled “de-selected” after malfunctioning due to leaks in the helium tanks that control them, causing multiple launch delays. Officials mentioned last month that the Starliner has 70 hours’ worth of helium on board, although only seven hours are required for a safe return. While they indicated earlier this month that the spacecraft could return immediately if necessary, they noted they weren’t fully prepared for that scenario.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested a return flight might occur at the end of this month, but specifics remain uncertain. They stated, “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.”