The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding its return to Earth. Ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, have recently concluded. Both Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to finalize plans for the vessel’s homeward journey.
An update released late last week confirmed the completion of ground testing for the Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. Teams are now focusing on analyzing the data collected during the tests. The primary goal was to examine any degradation of the thrusters, which would help the teams understand why certain thrusters were not operational during flight and the implications of bringing those thrusters back into service for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
Some thrusters encountered issues and were classified as “de-selected,” meaning they became inoperative. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, helium tanks that control the thrusters were leaking, causing multiple delays. Officials stated last month that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium on board, although it only requires seven. While they noted that the Starliner could technically return immediately, they have indicated that preparations for its return are still ongoing.
At the latest update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight could be possible by the end of the 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.”