A Boeing spacecraft responsible for returning two NASA astronauts to Earth has contended with an array of issues that have extended its stay on the International Space Station from eight days to nearly two months. Over the weekend, though, engineers conducted a test that could be critical in bringing home NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner—a semireusable spacecraft under a multibillion-dollar contract with NASA for Commercial Crew rotation missions to the ISS—underwent a hot fire test on Saturday intended to evaluate the capsule’s reaction control system (RCS) thrusters. The vessel is in the midst of its crewed flight test (CFT), which is intended to be its final mission before NASA certifies it for service.
