The Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew received some positive news regarding their return to Earth. Recent ground testing of the spacecraft’s thrusters, which have left it stranded in space since early June, has been successfully completed. Boeing and NASA had postponed their planning for the vessel’s return until these tests were wrapped up.
An update revealed that the testing of the Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico has concluded, allowing teams to analyze the data collected. The purpose of these tests was to assess thruster performance and gain insight into why some thrusters were deactivated during flight, as well as to evaluate the implications of restoring those thrusters to service for the remainder of the Crew Flight Test.
The term “de-selected” refers to the thrusters that ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner’s launch, there were issues with helium leaks in the tanks that control the thrusters, resulting in numerous delays. Officials stated last month that the spacecraft has 70 hours of helium onboard, although it only requires seven hours for its operations. Despite earlier indications that the Starliner could return immediately if necessary, they clarified that further preparations are needed before that can happen.
According to the latest update from NASA and Boeing, a return flight was initially slated for the end of this month, but now the timeline is less certain. “Boeing and NASA engineers will move forward with the disassembly and inspections of the thrusters and will continue to finalize the flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s planned return to Earth in the coming weeks,” the statement added.