The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, have been completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting the conclusion of these tests before formulating plans for the Starliner’s homecoming.
An update shared last week confirmed the successful testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The teams are now focusing on reviewing the data collected during the tests. The primary aim was to assess thruster performance and understand the causes behind some thrusters being deactivated during flight. This information will help determine whether reactivating these thrusters could affect the overall performance of the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning, which was attributed to helium leaks from the tanks controlling them before and during the Starliner launch, causing multiple delays. At a recent press conference, officials noted that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium onboard, far exceeding the seven hours it requires. While they indicated that the Starliner could return to Earth if necessary, they acknowledged that preparations for this have not yet been finalized.
The latest update from NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could be scheduled for the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific. “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections and will continue finalizing the flight rationale in preparation for readiness reviews for Starliner’s nominal return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks,” the statement said.