Boeing Starliner Set for June 22 Return Key Details
he Boeing Starliner spacecraft is now scheduled to undock from the International Space Station and return to Earth on June 22 with its inaugural astronaut crew
NASA said on Friday, giving more time to finalize planning for the complicated process.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were launched aboard Starliner June 5 and arrived at the ISS the next day
following a 24-hour flight in which the spacecraft encountered four helium leaks and five failures of its 28 maneuvering thrusters.
"The extra time allows the team to finalize departure planning and operations while the spacecraft remains cleared for crew emergency return scenarios within the flight rules,"
They are targeting a departure no earlier than June 22, leaving open an opportunity for further extensions of time at the ISS.
The return to Earth is expected to last about six hours and target a location in the desert of Utah
Starliner's first flight with astronauts is a crucial last test in a much-delayed and over-budget program before NASA can certify the spacecraft for routine astronaut missions and add a second U.S. crew vehicle to its fleet
If all goes as planned with Starliner's return of two astronauts back to Earth