The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received positive news regarding the spacecraft’s return to Earth. Ground testing of the Starliner’s thrusters, which have kept the spacecraft in orbit since early June, has been successfully completed. Boeing and NASA were awaiting the results of these tests before planning for the spacecraft’s homeward journey.
An update released last week stated, “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 purpose of the tests was to evaluate thruster degradation to better understand why some thrusters malfunctioned during the flight and to assess the implications of potentially bringing them back into service.
Officials indicated that some thrusters were “de-selected,” meaning they ceased to function. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, helium tanks, which power the thrusters, experienced leaks, causing several delays. At a recent press conference, officials noted that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium available, though it only requires seven for operations. While they mentioned the craft could return immediately if necessary, they clarified they are not yet prepared for it.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight might occur at the end of this month. However, the timeline has since become less precise: “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.”