The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding its impending return to Earth. Recently, ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it in space since early June, has been successfully completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting these test results before initiating plans for the spacecraft’s return.
An update shared last week stated, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now turning their attention to data reviews.” The tests aimed to analyze thruster degradation to gain insights into the issues that caused some thrusters to be de-selected during the flight, as well as the potential effects of bringing those thrusters back into service on the overall Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning. Leaks in the helium tanks, which are crucial for thruster control, were reported both before and during the Starliner’s launch, resulting in several delays. Officials noted at a press conference last month that the spacecraft contains 70 hours of helium, despite only requiring seven. Although they mentioned earlier this month that the spacecraft could return immediately if necessary, they indicated that they are not yet fully prepared for that scenario.
NASA and Boeing’s latest communication suggests that a return flight could occur at the end of this month, but the timeframe is now less defined. “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,” the statement concluded.