The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. The ground tests for the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in orbit since early June, have recently been completed. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the results of these tests before planning the spacecraft’s homecoming.
An update provided last week confirmed, “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 focusing on data reviews.” The tests aimed to understand the reasons for thruster failures during the mission and evaluate the implications of reactivating those affected thrusters for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
Some thrusters were labeled “de-selected,” meaning they became non-operational. Issues with the helium tanks that power the thrusters resulted in earlier delays both before and during the Starliner launch. Despite having 70 hours of helium onboard—far more than the seven hours typically required—officials stated last month that while the spacecraft could return immediately if necessary, they were not yet fully prepared for that scenario.
Earlier updates indicated a possible return flight at the end of this month, but the timeline has now become less specific. Boeing and NASA engineers will dismantle the thrusters for inspection and finalize the preparations necessary for the Starliner’s scheduled return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.