Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), described it as her “happy place” and expressed how much she enjoys being there. Williams, along with fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5 for what was initially planned as an eight-day mission. However, their stay has been extended to eight months due to technical issues that sent the Starliner back to Earth without them.
During a video press conference, Williams acknowledged the unexpected situation, stating, “That’s how things go in this business.” Having already spent time on the ISS in past missions, she found the transition back to station life relatively easy. “This is my happy place. I love being up here in space,” she said. Despite not completing their return with the Starliner, Williams remains optimistic, adding, “We wanted to take Starliner to completion and land at home, but you have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity.”
Both astronauts are now scheduled to return in February aboard the Crew-9 mission by SpaceX. Though she was initially nervous about the extended stay, particularly missing family plans, Williams mentioned that her family’s support eased her concerns. “In the back of my mind, I was fretting about spending time with my mother, but everyone was on board and prepared us,” she said.
Butch Wilmore, while not disappointed about staying in space, hinted at disagreements over the return plan. He explained that despite being close to resolving Starliner’s issues, they ultimately ran out of time. “We could have returned on Starliner, but we just couldn’t get comfortable with the situation when we had other options,” he said.
Both astronauts are also excited to participate in the 2024 US presidential election, casting their votes from space. Wilmore stressed the importance of this civic duty, stating, “NASA makes it very easy for us to do that.” Williams echoed this sentiment, calling it a “very important duty” and looking forward to the unique opportunity to vote from space.
The challenges faced by Boeing’s Starliner have been notable, with the mission encountering issues such as helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters. Five out of 28 thrusters failed during the mission, and several helium leaks were detected. Though the Starliner successfully docked with the ISS, concerns arose about its ability to generate enough thrust for a safe return, leading NASA to transfer the astronauts to a SpaceX mission instead.