The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew has received promising news regarding their eventual return to Earth. Recent testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in space since early June, has been successfully completed. Boeing and NASA were waiting for these tests to plan the spacecraft’s journey home.
An update from last week informed that ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has concluded, and teams are now focused on reviewing the data. The purpose of the test was to examine the deterioration of the thrusters to better understand why certain thrusters were rendered inoperative during flight and to assess the potential impacts of reactivating them for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
When officials refer to “de-selected” thrusters, they indicate that some ceased functioning due to issues with helium tanks leaking before and during the Starliner’s launch, which has caused numerous delays. During a press conference last month, it was stated that the Starliner contains 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only needing seven. While officials mentioned earlier this month that the spacecraft could return to Earth immediately if necessary, they have indicated that conditions are not yet optimal for its return.
In the latest communication, NASA and Boeing suggested that a return flight could potentially happen at the end of this month. However, that timeline is now more uncertain. The update stated that Boeing and NASA engineers will continue with the disassembly and inspection of the thrusters and work towards finalizing the necessary flight plans for the Starliner’s safe return to Earth, with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams expected to be aboard in the coming weeks.