NASA and Boeing engineers have successfully completed engine testing at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, a crucial step towards returning the Boeing Crew Flight Test to Earth from the International Space Station. The ground hot fire testing, conducted on a reaction control system thruster built for a future Starliner spacecraft, simulated various inflight conditions, including stress-case firings and thruster performance from undocking to deorbit burn.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 256 miles above the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India. Photo credit: NASA
The testing aimed to replicate the conditions the thrusters will experience during the spacecraft's return journey, providing valuable data to help understand the propulsion system's performance. The teams are now working to evaluate the test data and inspect the test engine, with ongoing analysis expected to continue throughout the week.
Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, praised the teams' hard work, stating, "We collected an incredible amount of data on the thruster that could help us better understand what is going on in flight." The next step involves engine tear-downs and inspections, which will provide additional insights as the teams analyze the results and evaluate next steps.
Meanwhile, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, part of the Expedition 71 crew, are conducting various experiments on the space station. They participated in vein scans using the Ultrasound 2 device, helped researchers understand how microgravity affects the human body, and worked on studies exploring the use of microgravity to manufacture optical fibers and overcome the lack of gravity when watering plants in space.
An in-depth Agency Flight Test Readiness Review is also being prepared, which will evaluate data related to the spacecraft's propulsion system performance before its return to Earth. A media briefing is scheduled for next week, where NASA and Boeing leadership will discuss the testing and analysis work in detail.
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