Boeing Starliner's return to Earth pushed to 26 June

Boeing Starliner's return to Earth from the International Space Station with its first crew of astronauts has been pushed back to 26 June, a NASA official said on Tuesday.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were launched aboard Starliner June 5 and arrived at the ISS following a 24-hour flight in which the spacecraft encountered four helium leaks and five failures of its 28 maneuvering thrusters.

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 US crew vehicle to its fleet, alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

The new delay of the return of Starliner is intended "to give our team a little bit more time to look at the data, do some analysis and make sure we're really ready to come home," Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, said during a news conference.

NASA is targeting a departure no earlier than 26 June, leaving open an opportunity for further extensions of time at the ISS. Starliner, while designed for future six-month missions, can stay docked to the ISS for a maximum of 45 days during its current mission.

The return to Earth is expected to last about six hours and target a location in the desert of Utah, New Mexico or other backup locations, depending on local weather conditions.

The latest in-flight problems follow years of other challenges Boeing has faced with Starliner, including a 2019 uncrewed test failure where dozens of software glitches, design problems and management issues nixed its ability to dock to the ISS. A 2022 repeat uncrewed test had a successful docking.