NASA and Boeing postpone Starliner astronaut return to June 22, effectively doubling the mission duration to evaluate the spacecraft.

• NASA declared on Friday that Boeing's Starliner capsule "Calypso" will remain at the International Space Station for twice the duration of the originally planned mission.
• Calypso is expected to return to Earth on June 22, departing the ISS at 11:42 p.m. ET on June 21 and landing at 6:26 a.m. ET.
• NASA is one step closer to certifying Boeing to carry crew on operational missions with the spacecraft, but like the two previous flight tests, Starliner is encountering issues during the mission.

NASA announced that the Starliner capsule "Calypso" will remain at the International Space Station for twice the duration of the originally planned mission.

Boeing's crew flight test is currently being displayed as the company and NASA perform various tests on Starliner while it is docked with the ISS. This mission marks the first time that Starliner carries crew, with Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams set to fly the spacecraft back to Earth next week.

Nine days was the initial plan for Boeing and NASA before launching Starliner on June 5.

The Starliner crew flight test will now last at least 17 days, about double the original plan, as Calypso's mission is expected to return to Earth on June 22.

NASA announced that the tests include operating the capsule's hatch, firing seven of its thrusters, and checking the cabin air temperature, while the program's managers and astronauts finalize departure planning and operations.

NASA stated that the agency would repeat some "safe haven" testing for Starliner, but did not provide a reason for this. A safe haven test involves using a spacecraft as a shelter during an emergency on the ISS. NASA emphasized that the spacecraft is cleared for crew emergency return scenarios within the flight rules, including the possibility of an unexpected evacuation of the astronauts off the ISS.

NASA postponed providing additional information to CNBC until a press conference on Tuesday, following the release of an update on Friday.

Before NASA approves Boeing to fly crew on six-month missions, the crew flight test is the final major step. However, like the previous two uncrewed spaceflights, Starliner is encountering issues during the mission.

The launch of Starliner to the ISS was successful despite the discovery of a stable leak in Calypso's helium propulsion system before the launch.

Since docking with the ISS, the spacecraft has experienced four additional helium leaks. NASA earlier this week stated that Calypso has enough margin to support the return trip based on the current rate of the five leaks, with 10 times the required capacity of helium in its tanks.

Another issue with Starliner's propulsion system occurred during docking, which NASA claims is unrelated to the helium leaks. Starliner is equipped with 28 jets, known as its reaction control system (RCS) engines, which help the spacecraft make small movements in orbit.

Despite the fact that five of Starliner's thrusters were not functioning, NASA permitted the spacecraft to dock after Boeing successfully repaired four of the malfunctioning jets through troubleshooting.

NASA announced on Friday that it would conduct hot fire testing on seven of the eight thrusters near the spacecraft's tail before undocking. The hot fires are brief bursts of the thrusters, and Boeing aims to evaluate their performance. NASA did not disclose whether any of the seven thrusters being tested are the same as the five that stopped working before docking.

Despite the mission's length doubling, there is still ample margin and time available on station, according to Boeing VP Mark Nappi.

NASA has shifted its focus from Starliner to SpaceX's Dragon as the primary spacecraft for crewed missions to the ISS. Starliner, which was initially seen as a competitor to Dragon, has experienced setbacks and delays that have relegated it to a backup position. NASA now plans to have SpaceX and Boeing fly astronauts on alternating flights.

The flight test of the aircraft was incorrectly reported in a previous version of this article.