The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their planned return to Earth. Recent completion of ground testing for the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have prevented it from returning since early June, has paved the way for Boeing and NASA to make preparations for the vessel’s homecoming.
An update indicated that the ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has concluded, allowing teams to focus on analyzing the data. The objective of the tests was to investigate thruster degradation to understand the reason behind some thrusters being deactivated during flight and to assess any potential impacts on the upcoming Crew Flight Test if those thrusters were reinstated.
The term “de-selected” refers to thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, the helium tanks responsible for controlling these thrusters experienced leaks, resulting in several delays. Officials mentioned last month that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only requiring seven hours for its operation. Although they stated earlier this month that the Starliner could return if necessary, they also confirmed that preparations for its landing were not yet finalized.
In their latest communication, NASA and Boeing noted that a return flight might occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has now 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.”