Sunita Williams, Starliner’s crew likely to return to Earth soon, NASA conducts successful tests

The long-awaited crewed mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may soon reach its conclusion. On Saturday, July 20, NASA and Boeing’s engineering teams successfully completed a hot fire test of the spacecraft’s thrusters. These positive results suggest that Starliner’s first voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) with astronauts on board may finally wrap up in the coming days.

The Starliner CST-100 has been docked at the ISS since June 6, following its launch on an Atlas V rocket. This launch came after an earlier attempt was cancelled due to a detected helium leak. Subsequently, two more leaks appeared post-liftoff, and another two were found after docking at the ISS. The docking process itself faced issues, with five thrusters failing during the initial docking attempt.

Initially, the return to Earth was scheduled for June 14, but the crew has remained on the ISS much longer than planned. NASA and Boeing have stated that the spacecraft is capable of safely returning the astronauts at any time and that the delay has been used to conduct tests that are impossible on Earth. The space agency has reassured that the astronauts are not stranded.

NASA’s recent statement mentioned that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived at the ISS via the Starliner, tested 27 of the spacecraft’s 28 thrusters one by one. These tests aimed to measure thruster performance and helium leak rates, with preliminary results showing that the thrusters are functioning within the required margins for a safe return.

In addition to the thruster tests, Wilmore and Williams have also conducted checks on the water systems and internal pressure of the spacecraft. The data from these tests is currently being reviewed. Once the analysis is complete, NASA will announce a target return date for the astronauts.

Boeing, in its own statement, indicated that a flight test readiness review is scheduled for late this week. The two astronauts will participate in two simulations of the undocking procedure as part of the preparations.

The Starliner is part of a $4.3 billion contract between Boeing and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Since its inception, the program has faced numerous challenges, including delays, cost overruns, and technical issues. These problems have been significant enough that NASA administrator Bill Nelson criticized Boeing in a 2022 interview for lagging behind rival SpaceX in developing a reusable crew capsule.

Despite these setbacks, the successful completion of the recent tests brings hope that the Starliner’s first crewed mission will soon reach a successful conclusion, allowing NASA and Boeing to move forward with future missions.