NASA indefinitely delays return of Starliner to review propulsion data

Enlarge / Boeing’s Starliner capsule lifts off aboard United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket. (credit: United Launch Alliance)

In an update released late Friday evening, NASA said it was “adjusting” the date of the Starliner spacecraft’s return to Earth from June 26 to an unspecified time in July.

The announcement followed two days of long meetings to review the readiness of the spacecraft, developed by Boeing, to fly NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to Earth. According to sources these meetings included high-level participation from senior leaders at the agency, including associate administrator Jim Free.

This “Crew Flight Test,” which launched on June 5th atop an Atlas V rocket, was originally due to undock and return to Earth on June 14. However, as engineers from NASA and Boeing studied data from the vehicle’s problematic flight to the International Space Station, they have waived off several return opportunities.