Boeing and NASA engineers have completed ground tests on the Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster. They aimed to figure out what went wrong during the spacecraft’s flight in early June.
These tests successfully recreated the thrust problems Starliner had during its mission. Now, the teams are reviewing the large amount of data they collected. However, the return date for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams is still unclear, but NASA and Boeing said it will be “in the coming weeks.”
The tests took place at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The engineers simulated conditions from Starliner’s recent flight. According to Boeing, the control system thruster went through a tough sequence with over 1,000 pulses to mimic the Crew Flight Test (CFT) conditions.
They also tested scenarios for undocking and deorbit burn, which Starliner will experience on its way back home. Dan Niedermaier, a Boeing engineer, mentioned that they also ran more aggressive tests to better simulate the high temperatures the thrusters experienced during the flight. These tests resulted in terabytes of data.
Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, said that engineers are now doing “engine tear downs and inspections.” After these analyses, an Agency Flight Test Readiness Review will be held to check if Starliner is in good shape to bring the astronauts back.
NASA and Boeing plan to share more details in an upcoming conference.
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