The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received positive news regarding its return to Earth. Ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have been inactive since early June, has recently concluded. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the results of these tests to begin planning the spacecraft’s journey back home.
Last week, an update confirmed the completion of ground tests for a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. Teams are now focused on reviewing the data collected during these tests. The primary goal was to assess any degradation of the thrusters and gain insights into the in-flight failures that led to some thrusters being de-selected, as well as the potential implications of reactivating those thrusters for the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, there were issues with the helium tanks that control the thrusters, causing several delays. Officials noted that the spacecraft currently has 70 hours’ worth of helium on board, significantly more than the seven hours it requires. While they indicated earlier this month that the craft could return home immediately if necessary, they clarified that they are not completely prepared for that return just yet.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested a return flight could be possible by the end of this month. However, the timeline now appears less certain. The statement continued, “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.”