The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding their return to Earth. Ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in orbit since early June, has recently concluded. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the results of these tests before organizing the spacecraft’s homeward journey.
A recent update indicated, “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 purpose of the tests was to examine thruster performance degradation to better understand why some thrusters were turned off during flight and assess the potential impact of reactivating them on the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to certain thrusters that ceased operation. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, the helium tanks that control the thrusters experienced leaks, resulting in several delays. During a press conference last month, officials noted the spacecraft possesses 70 hours of helium onboard, far exceeding the required seven hours. Although they mentioned the Starliner could return immediately if necessary, they also indicated they are not fully prepared for that eventuality.
In the previous update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could occur at the end of this month. However, the current timeline is less defined: “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections, moving forward to finalize flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s anticipated return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the upcoming weeks.”