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Before the June 5 launch, Boeing and NASA planned for the Starliner to be in space for nine days.

But the Calypso mission is now expected to return to Earth on June 22, lifting off from the ISS at 11:42 p.m. ET on June 21 before landing roughly six and a half hours later, at 6:26 a.m. ET. This means the Starliner crew flight test will now last at least 17 days, roughly twice as long as originally planned, for further spacecraft testing.

NASA said those tests included operating the capsule’s hatch, firing seven of the thrusters and checking the cabin air temperature while program managers and astronauts “finalize liftoff planning and operations.”

The agency also noted that the Starliner will “repeat some ‘safe haven’ testing,” but did not explain why that was necessary. A safe haven test is when ISS astronauts use a spacecraft for shelter during an emergency. NASA said “the spacecraft remains authorized for emergency crew return scenarios within the rules of flight,” referring to the possible scenario of an unexpected evacuation of the astronauts from the ISS.

NASA, after releasing an update Friday, deferred CNBC’s request for further clarification until a news conference to be held Tuesday before the scheduled departure.

The crew flight test represents the last major step before NASA certifies Boeing to fly the crew on operational six-month missions. Still, like the previous two spaceflights that were disbanded, the Starliner ran into several problems during the mission.

A leak in Calypso’s helium propulsion system was identified prior to launch. The leak was deemed stable and posed no threat to the capsule’s safety, so the launch went ahead and was successful in delivering the Starliner to the ISS.

However, after docking with the ISS, the spacecraft caused four additional helium leaks. NASA earlier this week wrote that Calypso “has enough reserve to support the return trip” based on the current speed of the five leaks, with 10 times the required helium capacity in its tanks.

While Boeing was guiding the Starliner for docking, another problem — which NASA says is separate from the helium leak — arose with the spacecraft’s propulsion system. The Starliner has 28 jets, known as its Reaction Control System, or RCS, engines that help the spacecraft make small movements in orbit.

Five of the 28 thrusters were not working, but after troubleshooting, Boeing recovered four of the failed Starliner planes and NASA allowed the spacecraft to dock.

NASA said Friday that it will perform hot-fire testing before detaching seven of the eight thrusters near the spacecraft’s tail. Hot fires are very short bursts of the thrusters as Boeing seeks to evaluate the performance of the thrusters. NASA did not specify whether any of the seven thrusters that will undergo testing are the same as the five that stopped working before docking.

Boeing Vice President Mark Nappi said in a statement that despite doubling the mission’s duration, “we have plenty of inventory and time left on station.”

The Starliner was once seen as a competitor to SpaceX’s Dragon, which has made 12 crewed trips to the ISS in the past four years. However, various setbacks and delays have steadily relegated the Starliner to a backup position for NASA, with the agency planning to have SpaceX and Boeing fly astronauts on alternating flights.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the duration of the flight test.