The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. Recent tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in space since early June, have been completed. Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to complete their planning for the Starliner’s homecoming.
An update revealed, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now focused on reviewing the data.” The aim of the tests was to investigate thruster degradation and understand the reasons behind the de-selection of certain thrusters during flight, as well as to assess the implications of bringing those thrusters back into service.
The term “de-selected” indicates that some thrusters failed to function. Issues arose with the helium tanks that control the thrusters, leading to multiple launch delays. Despite having 70 hours’ worth of helium onboard, far exceeding the seven hours needed, officials previously mentioned that while the Starliner could return at any moment if necessary, they are not quite prepared for that.
At the last update, NASA and Boeing suggested a return flight could occur by the end of this month. However, the timeline has become less specific: “Boeing and NASA engineers will now proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and continue refining the flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”