The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their upcoming return to Earth. The completion of ground tests for the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, has allowed Boeing and NASA to begin planning the return journey.
Last week, an update stated, “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 reviewing the data.” The goal of the test was to analyze thruster degradation to understand why some thrusters failed during flight and assess the potential effects of reactivating them on the overall Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to certain thrusters that became non-operational. There were issues with helium tanks, which control the thrusters, leaking before and during the Starliner launch, causing several delays. Officials noted in a press conference last month that the spacecraft has enough helium for 70 hours, despite only needing seven. Although they mentioned earlier this month that the spacecraft could return immediately if necessary, they also indicated that they are not fully prepared for the return just yet.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could happen by the end of this month. However, the timeline has become more indefinite: “Boeing and NASA engineers will disassemble and inspect the thrusters and move forward with finalizing flight rationale in preparation for readiness reviews for Starliner’s anticipated return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”