The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground tests of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have been stranded in space since early June, have been completed. Boeing and NASA had been awaiting these tests to initiate plans for the vessel’s homecoming.
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 focusing on data reviews.” The primary goal of the tests was to identify thruster degradation to understand why certain thrusters were not functional during flight, as well as to assess the potential impact of returning those thrusters to operation on the overall Crew Flight Test.
Some thrusters were deemed “de-selected,” indicating that they failed to operate correctly. Helium tanks, which control the thrusters, experienced leaks before and during the Starliner’s launch, causing several delays. Officials had previously noted that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours of helium, despite only needing seven. While it was indicated earlier this month that the ship could return immediately if necessary, officials clarified that further preparations are still required.
In a prior update, NASA and Boeing mentioned the possibility of a return flight by the end of this month. However, the timeline is now less definite: “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections and advance 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.”