Astronaut Sunita Williams initially planned to be in space for just eight days, but now, nearly eight months later, she and her colleague Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore are still orbiting the Earth.
The two NASA astronauts launched towards the International Space Station on June 5, 2024. Unfortunately, they encountered helium leaks and other issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule, preventing their return to Earth.
While the capsule made it back without them, NASA is now working hard to figure out how to bring Williams and Wilmore home safely.
The potential date for their return home has been changed multiple times over the last few months, and the ISS has indicated that it likely won’t happen until late March.
President Donald Trump criticized Biden’s administration for leaving the two astronauts behind and urged Elon Musk and SpaceX to “go get them.”
“Elon will be on his way soon. Let’s hope everything goes smoothly,” Trump remarked. “Good luck, Elon!!!”
Musk responded on X, confirming that he would take action.
NASA determined that Starliner was not suitable for bringing Williams and Wilmore back home, so they assigned SpaceX to handle the task instead. Currently, the SpaceX Crew-9 capsule is docked at the ISS, and the Crew-10 capsule is scheduled for launch to the ISS in late March, prior to Crew-9’s departure.
Recently, astronaut Williams participated in an interview with students at Needham High School, her alma mater from 1983. When asked about her experience in microgravity from the ISS, she described it as feeling like swimming or flying.
“I’ve been up here long enough that I’m trying to recall what it feels like to walk. I haven’t walked, sat down, or laid down. You don’t need to; you can simply close your eyes and float wherever you are.”
She also mentioned that she and her fellow astronaut Wilmore anticipated their space mission would last longer than the scheduled eight days, but they never expected it to extend this much.
“It was somewhat surprising, to be honest,” she told the students. “We figured it would likely be around a month, but the prolonged stay turned out to be quite different.”
Williams is happy to share her journey with everyone back on Earth, but of course, she’s looking forward to going home.
My mom is getting older, so I make an effort to stay connected with her and the family as much as I can, she shared. I talk to my mom almost every day, just checking in and seeing how she’s doing. Our relationship has shifted a bit from what we might have expected over the past few months, but we’re handling it well.
In November, Williams responded to speculation about her weight loss, stating in an interview with New England Sports Network Clubhouse that her weight is the same as when she went on the space trip. She mentioned that she and Wilmore have a treadmill and weightlifting equipment to help maintain their fitness.
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