The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received encouraging news regarding their return to Earth. The Earth-based testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have kept it in orbit since early June, has recently concluded. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the completion of these tests to start planning for the spacecraft’s journey home.
According to a recent update, “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 objective of the tests was to analyze thruster performance issues and determine why some thrusters were ineffective during flight, as well as assess the potential impacts of returning those thrusters to service for the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that became nonfunctional. The helium tanks that regulate the thrusters experienced leaks before and during the Starliner launch, causing several delays. Officials mentioned at a press conference last month that the spacecraft carries 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only requiring seven hours for operation. Although they indicated earlier this month that the spacecraft could return at any time, they noted that preparations were still ongoing for that event.
In the latest update from NASA and Boeing, a return flight might be scheduled for the end of this month. However, the timeline now appears less definite: “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.”