Good news for Sunita Williams! Starliner completes docked hot fire test, but NASA yet to announce return date

NASA's uncertainty over the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore to Earth is likely to end soon, as Starliner has completed a docked hot fire test of the spacecraft's Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters. The test, which also monitored the spacecraft's helium system, will be followed by two undock-to-landing simulation tests this week, said Starliner in a press release on Saturday. However, the landing date is yet to be finalised.

“A Flight Test Readiness Review is tentatively planned for late next week, and the data gathered today will be reviewed and included in return flight rationale. While a landing date has not yet been set, opportunities are available throughout August,” Boeing Starliner updated on the mission.

Starliner's docked hot fire test

The Starliner team successfully completed the spacecraft's test for the second time. The team also monitored its helium system and provided additional data points for the Crew Flight Test’s return to Earth.

While sharing the results from the docked hot fire test, Starliner flight director Chloe Mehring said, “The integrated teams between Starliner and ISS worked extremely well together this week to finalize and safely execute the docked hot-fire sequence.”

Flight test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams sent the ground real-time feedback from Starliner Calypso during the test. The two are likely to participate in two undock-to-landing simulations next week. The Starliner and NASA team will also perform a Flight Test Readiness Review next week. Although ample dates are suitable for the safe return of the Starliner spacecraft from NASA's International Space Station (ISS), the landing date is yet to be finalised.

As the efforts to bring Starliner's spacecraft back home are on, NASA is grappling with impending congestion at the ISS due to recent delays and technical glitches involving SpaceX and Boeing. According to NASA officials, the US space agency is likely to see increased traffic at the ISS following an emergency sheltering of astronauts due to debris and propulsion issues with a new Boeing spacecraft.