The Boeing CST-100 Starliner team has received encouraging news regarding the spacecraft’s return to Earth. Recent ground tests of the thrusters, which have been stranded in space since early June, have been completed. Boeing and NASA awaited the results of these tests to begin planning the vessel’s homeward journey.
An update revealed that the testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is finished, and teams are now focusing on analyzing the data. This testing aimed to assess thruster performance and identify reasons for some thrusters being rendered inoperative during the mission, as well as the potential effects of reinstating those thrusters on the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased operation. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, there were leaks in the helium tanks that control the thrusters, resulting in various postponements. Officials mentioned that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium on board, though only seven hours are needed. They indicated earlier this month that although the craft could theoretically return at any moment, they are not fully prepared for that eventuality.
In their latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight might be possible by the end of this month, but the timeline is now less specific. The message indicates that engineers will disassemble and inspect the thrusters, working toward final preparations for a safe return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.