The Boeing CST-100 Starliner team has received encouraging news regarding the spacecraft’s return to Earth. Recent tests on the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in orbit since early June, have been concluded. Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to finish before planning the vessel’s re-entry.
A statement from last week highlighted that “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 purpose of these tests was to analyze thruster performance issues that led to some being deactivated during the mission, which will help determine the implications for the spacecraft’s re-entry.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. The helium tanks that regulate the thrusters experienced leaks during the lead-up to and following the Starliner launch, resulting in several delays. Officials noted in a recent press conference that while the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium available, only seven hours are needed for its journey home. They indicated that although the Starliner could return if necessary, they are not entirely prepared for that eventuality.
The latest information from NASA and Boeing suggested that a return could be scheduled for the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific, with updates stating, “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and will 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.”