The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding their return to Earth. The recent completion of ground testing for the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, is a key step in planning its homecoming. Both Boeing and NASA had awaited the results of these tests before making any return plans.
“Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is finished, and teams are now focusing on data reviews,” an update released last week stated. The purpose of the tests was to assess thruster degradation to better understand the issues that led to some thrusters being disabled during flight and to evaluate the potential effects of bringing those thrusters back into service for the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that failed to operate. Issues arose due to helium tanks controlling the thrusters leaking before and during the launch, causing several delays. Officials mentioned at a recent press conference that while the Starliner has 70 hours of helium onboard, far exceeding its seven-hour requirement, they are not yet ready for the spacecraft’s return, despite earlier indications that it could come back immediately if necessary.
The latest update from NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight might be scheduled for the end of this month. However, the current timeline is less certain: “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with the disassembly and inspections of the thrusters and continue refining the flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”