The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding the spacecraft’s return to Earth. Ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have been inoperable since early June, has been successfully completed. This testing was a prerequisite for Boeing and NASA to initiate planning for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update from last week 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 reviewing the data.” The purpose of the tests was to examine thruster degradation to better understand why some thrusters were not functioning during flight and to assess the possible impacts of bringing them back into service for the Crew Flight Test.
Some thrusters were rendered inoperative, as the helium tanks controlling them experienced leaks before and during the Starliner launch, which contributed to several launch delays. During a recent press conference, officials indicated that the spacecraft has enough helium onboard—70 hours’ worth—despite only needing seven hours for the mission. While they stated earlier this month that the craft could return at any time, they also clarified that further preparations are necessary.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing hinted that a return flight could occur by the end of this month. However, the timeline now appears less definitive: “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with the disassembly and inspection of the thrusters, and continue to finalize flight rationale in preparation for readiness reviews for Starliner’s eventual return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”