The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding its return to Earth. Ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in space since early June, has recently been completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting the conclusion of these tests to initiate plans for the spacecraft’s return journey.
An update provided last week detailed that the testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster took place at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The objective of this testing was to analyze thruster degradation to better understand why some thrusters were inoperative during the flight and to assess the potential impact of reintegrating those thrusters into the system for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to some thrusters ceasing to function. There were issues with the helium tanks that control the thrusters, which experienced leaks before and during the Starliner launch, causing multiple delays. Previously, officials stated that the spacecraft possesses 70 hours of helium on board, far exceeding the seven hours required. They indicated that while the craft could technically return to Earth now, they are not yet prepared for that transition.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight might be possible toward the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific. “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with thruster disassembly and inspections while finalizing flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the forthcoming weeks,” the update noted.