The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have been immobilized in space since early June, has been completed. Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to finalize plans for the spacecraft’s homecoming.
A statement released last week indicated, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now reviewing the data.” The purpose of the test was to assess thruster degradation in order to understand why some thrusters were disabled during the flight and to evaluate the potential impact of reactivating them on the overall Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to certain thrusters that ceased functioning. Issues with helium tanks that manage the thrusters led to leaks both before and during the Starliner launch, resulting in several postponements. Despite officials stating last month that the spacecraft contains 70 hours of helium—far more than the seven hours required—they indicated that while the ship could return immediately if necessary, they are not yet ready for its departure.
In their most recent update, NASA and Boeing mentioned that a return flight was possible by the end of this month. The timeline has now become less specific, with plans for continued thruster disassembly and inspections, along with preparations for final readiness reviews ahead of Starliner’s expected return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.