The Boeing CST-100 Starliner is one step closer to returning to Earth following the successful completion of ground testing on its thrusters. These thrusters have kept the spacecraft in orbit since early June. Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to conclude before initiating the planning for the spacecraft’s return.
An update released last week confirmed that the testing of the Starliner’s Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has been finished, with teams now focusing on analyzing the data collected. The primary aim of this testing was to understand the deterioration of certain thrusters, which were deactivated during flight, and to determine the potential effects of reactivating them on the overall performance of the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to some thrusters that failed to operate properly. Issues arose from leaks in the helium tanks that control the thrusters both before and during the launch, causing multiple delays. During a press conference last month, officials noted that the spacecraft contains 70 hours’ worth of helium, although it only requires seven hours for its operations. They mentioned that while the spacecraft could technically return to Earth at this time if necessary, they are not fully prepared for that action.
In the most recent update, NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight could potentially occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has since become less certain, stating, “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.”