The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding its impending return to Earth. Recently completed ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in orbit since early June, signify progress. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the outcomes of these tests to initiate plans for the Starliner’s homecoming.
An update released late last week confirmed the successful testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, stating, “Teams are now turning their attention to data reviews.” The purpose of the tests was to analyze the thruster degradation, aiming to understand why certain thrusters were not operational during flight and to assess the implications of reinstating them for the overall Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to a situation where some thrusters ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, helium tanks regulating the thrusters were found to be leaking, resulting in multiple delays. Officials shared at a press conference last month that the spacecraft contains 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only needing seven. While they noted earlier this month that the spacecraft could return immediately if necessary, they indicated that preparations are still underway.
In their latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight might occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has since become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and move forward with finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s nominal return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”