The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Recently completed ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have prevented it from coming home since early June, allow Boeing and NASA to start planning the vessel’s return trip.
An update indicated that the ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has finished, and teams are now focusing on analyzing the data. The primary aim of the testing was to identify thruster degradation, which could clarify why some thrusters were deactivated during flight and assess any potential effects of reactivating those thrusters on the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the malfunctioning thrusters. The helium tanks that control the thrusters experienced leaks both before and during the Starliner launch, resulting in several delays. During a press conference last month, officials noted that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours of helium, although only seven hours are needed. While they mentioned that the Starliner could return now if necessary, they emphasized that it is not yet fully prepared for re-entry.
In the most recent update, NASA and Boeing suggested a possible return flight by the end of the month. However, the timeline has become less specific. Boeing and NASA engineers will conduct disassembly and inspections of the thrusters, as well as finalize the flight rationale for upcoming readiness reviews in anticipation of Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the forthcoming weeks.