The Boeing CST-100 Starliner is showing signs of progress towards its return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters has been completed, allowing Boeing and NASA to begin planning for the vessel’s homecoming after being in orbit since early June.
A recent update confirmed, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now turning their attention to data reviews.” The tests aimed to assess thruster degradation, potentially explaining why some thrusters had to be deactivated during flight and evaluating any impacts on the remaining systems.
The “de-selected” thrusters refer to those that ceased functioning. Helium tanks that control the thrusters experienced leaks prior to and during the launch, resulting in several delays. Despite the issues, officials noted that the craft has 70 hours’ worth of helium available, although it requires only seven for its operations. While they indicated the spacecraft could return if needed, they also mentioned that they are not fully prepared for that eventuality yet.
Previously, NASA and Boeing anticipated a return flight by the end of this month. However, the timeline has shifted to a more indefinite schedule. “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,” they stated.