Boeing 's Starliner capsule "Calypso" will stay at the International Space Station twice as long as the mission originally planned, NASA announced Friday.
Before launching on June 5, Boeing and NASA planned for Starliner to be in space for nine days.
But Calypso's mission is now expected to return to Earth on June 22 — departing the ISS at 11:42 p.m.
That means the Starliner crew flight test will now last at least 17 days, about double the original plan, for further spacecraft testing.
The crew flight test represents a final major step before NASA certifies Boeing to fly crew on operational, six-month missions.
Persons:
Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, —
Organizations:
Boeing, Space, NASA