Boeing’s first Starliner astronaut mission has been extended through June 18. The extra time in space will give the crew an opportunity to conduct a spacewalk on Thursday, June 13, while engineers finish checking the Starliner systems.
The mission began on June 5 when the Starliner capsule launched, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station (ISS) for a test flight known as Crew Flight Test (CFT). The astronauts arrived at the ISS on June 6 for what was initially planned to be a week-long stay. However, NASA has announced that the mission will now last a few days longer.
NASA and Boeing have set a return date of no earlier than Tuesday, June 18 for the Boeing Crew Flight Test. This extended time in space will allow the crew to conduct a spacewalk on Thursday, June 13, while engineers complete the necessary checkouts on the Starliner systems.