Following their return to Earth on Monday, March 18, two astronauts whose intended week-long mission unexpectedly extended into a nine-month stay due to ship faults made their first public statements.
In June, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams first flew to the ISS on a test voyage on Boeing’s Starliner. But when the spaceship had technical problems and they had to wait for another transport home, their journey became well-known throughout the world. The astronauts themselves vehemently disputed any rumors that they were “stranded” or “abandoned,” despite speculation from the media and lawmakers.
Williams, Wilmore, and other astronaut Nick Hague, who was part of the Crew-9 mission that finally brought them back, responded to concerns regarding their prolonged stay in space during a NASA press conference.
It was always our intention to return.
“I think people need to know that we were always going to come back,” Williams informed everyone. Our narrative is different, which is why we are here to tell it.
One of the things we learnt was resilience, or the capacity to adjust to adversity and make the most of it.
She admitted that she and Wilmore were aware that piloting a brand-new spacecraft such as Starliner would be a novel experience, but neither had foreseen the degree of public interest their extended voyage would garner.
They swiftly adapted to the fact that they will remain on board the ISS crew for a longer period of time than anticipated.
“We became part of the ISS crew, just like our fellow astronauts—working, training, and conducting incredible science experiments,” Williams said. She continued by saying that she and Wilmore were touched by the public’s curiosity about their travels.
“We were astounded to see how many people were concerned when we arrived home.
We are appreciative of the opportunity to positively unite individuals.
The Future of Starliner and Their Dedication to Development
Wilmore remarked, “Starliner is very capable,” “If given the chance, I would fly it again.” He underlined that NASA and Boeing are dedicated to resolving the problems. “We will fix all of the issues we encountered, get it operational, and make sure it is prepared for upcoming missions. I’m on board with Boeing and NASA.
Dealing with Political Speculation
Concerns on their predicament were voiced by a number of political officials and media sources throughout their time in space. But Hague explained, “You don’t feel the politics while you’re operating in space. None of that is experienced by you.
Wilmore revealed something unusual in an interview with Fox News: “In some ways, we were stranded.” But he brushed aside the inflated allegations that he and Williams had been deserted. “People claimed that we had been forgotten. That is wholly untrue.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and now one of Trump’s top aides, and former President Donald Trump have repeatedly claimed credit for accelerating the astronauts’ return. Additionally, they charged that the Biden administration abandoned the astronauts in orbit for “political reasons,” a charge that is unsupported by any available data.
Wilmore hesitantly said, “I trust them,” in response to a question concerning Trump and Musk. I have no excuse from them not to. He continued, “I’m grateful that our national leaders are involved and supporting our human spaceflight program.”
Getting Used to Life on Earth Again
Williams and Wilmore were formally reassigned as part of the Crew-9 mission to integrate with the ISS staff during their prolonged stay.
But they acknowledged that it was challenging to spend so much time apart from friends and family.
“Have I considered missing my daughter’s time in high school? Naturally,” Wilmore said to Fox News. However, I couldn’t allow that to get in the way of the work I was supposed to do. It’s about the aims of human spaceflight and our national aspirations, not about me or how I feel.
The astronauts loved their time in space despite the difficulties.
