The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, have been successfully completed. Boeing and NASA had been waiting for these tests to finalize plans for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update provided last week confirmed, “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 tests aimed to examine thruster performance and understand the issues that led to some thrusters being rendered inoperable during flight.
When officials mention “de-selected,” they refer to thrusters that malfunctioned. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, helium tanks controlling the thrusters experienced leaks, resulting in multiple delays. However, during a press conference last month, it was noted that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium onboard, far exceeding the seven hours required for its operation. Although officials stated that the Starliner could return immediately if necessary, they also indicated that they are not fully prepared for its return just yet.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could be scheduled for the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less precise: “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and continue to finalize flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”