The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received encouraging news about their return to Earth. Recently, ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters were successfully completed, which had been a necessary step since the craft has been stuck in space since early June. Both Boeing and NASA had been awaiting the results of these tests to start preparations for the spacecraft’s return journey.
According to an update shared last week, tests of the Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster were conducted at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The objective of these tests was to monitor thruster performance and identify why certain thrusters failed during flight, as well as the implications of reactivating these thrusters on the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that became non-operational. Issues arose during the launch, as the helium tanks that control the thrusters were found to be leaking. This led to multiple delays in the mission. Officials mentioned in a recent press conference that the Starliner carries 70 hours of helium, much more than the seven hours needed for its operation. While they stated that the spacecraft could return at any time if necessary, they indicated that they are not yet fully prepared for that eventuality.
In their last update, NASA and Boeing suggested the return flight could happen by the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific. The announcement indicated that Boeing and NASA engineers are now focused on disassembling and inspecting the thrusters, while also finalizing preparations for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.