The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding their return to Earth. The completion of ground testing for the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, paves the way for Boeing and NASA to plan the vessel’s journey home.
Recently, an update revealed that ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has concluded, and efforts are now focused on reviewing the data. The testing aimed to examine thruster performance degradation to better understand why certain thrusters were not operational during the flight and to assess any potential effects of reintegrating those thrusters for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the launch of the Starliner, the helium tanks that regulate the thrusters experienced leaks, resulting in several delays. Officials noted last month that the spacecraft carries 70 hours’ worth of helium, well above the seven hours required, providing some flexibility. Although they asserted earlier this month that the craft could return immediately if necessary, they indicated that they are not fully prepared for that eventuality.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could happen at the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will move forward with the disassembly and inspection of the thrusters and work on finalizing the flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”