The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew recently received promising news regarding their eventual return to Earth. Testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in orbit since early June, has successfully concluded. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the completion of these tests to kick off the plans for the spacecraft’s return journey.
An update provided last week indicated, “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 examine thruster performance degradation to gain insights into why some thrusters were rendered inoperable during flight and to assess the potential implications of reactivating them on the overall mission.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, helium tanks that control these thrusters experienced leaks, resulting in several postponements. Officials mentioned that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, although only seven hours are necessary for its operations. While they stated earlier this month that the spacecraft could return immediately if needed, they also expressed that they are not fully prepared for its return just yet.
The latest information from NASA and Boeing suggested a possible return flight by the end of this month, but the timeline has since become less specific. They noted, “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and 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.”