The crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Recently, ground testing for the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in orbit since early June, was successfully completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting these test results to begin planning the spacecraft’s homecoming.
According to an update provided late last week, “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 analysis.” The tests aimed to assess thruster performance and understand the reasons behind the in-flight failure of some thrusters, as well as the potential implications of restoring them to service.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning, attributed to leaking helium tanks prior to and during the Starliner launch, which caused multiple delays. Officials indicated last month that the spacecraft has 70 hours’ worth of helium on board, despite only requiring seven hours. While they noted earlier this month that the spacecraft could safely return to Earth if necessary, they have also stated they are not yet ready for that move.
In their most recent communication, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight might occur at the end of this month, but the timeline has since become less precise. “Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with the disassembly and inspection of the thrusters, and progress towards finalizing flight rationale in support of readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth, with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”