The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received some positive news regarding their return home. Earth-based testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters was recently completed, marking a significant step toward planning their homecoming after being stuck in space since early June.
An update from late last week indicated, “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 assess thruster degradation to understand why certain thrusters were inactive during flight and what effects restoring them might have on the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
When officials referred to “de-selected,” they were indicating that some thrusters ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, tanks containing helium for the thrusters experienced leaks, resulting in numerous delays. Officials mentioned last month that the spacecraft holds 70 hours’ worth of helium, even though only seven hours are needed. While they stated earlier this month that the craft could return now if necessary, they also conveyed that preparations for its return are not yet complete.
In the latest update, NASA and Boeing indicated that a return flight could be possible by the end of this month. However, the timeline has since become less specific: “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.”