The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding their return to Earth. Testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters has recently been completed, which had been a necessary step before planning its journey back, as the craft has remained in space since early June.
An update announced last week stated, “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 goal of the tests was to assess thruster degradation and understand why some thrusters were inactive during flight, as well as to evaluate any potential effects of returning those thrusters to service.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that failed to operate as intended. Issues with helium tanks, which are crucial for controlling the thrusters, led to leaks prior to and during the launch, resulting in multiple delays. Officials indicated last month that the Starliner possesses 70 hours worth of helium, while only seven are needed for its flight. Although they mentioned that the spacecraft could theoretically return at any moment if necessary, they clarified that they are not quite ready for that scenario yet.
According to the latest update from NASA and Boeing, a return flight was tentatively set for the end of this month. However, the timeline has now become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections, and will finalize flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s scheduled return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”