On June 5, 2024, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore soared into a blue sky in a new Boeing capsule called Starliner. Their mission? To test the spacecraft, dock with the International Space Station (ISS), and then return home a few days later.
Instead, the pair returned in a SpaceX Crew Dragon on March 18 — more than nine months later.
On its inaugural mission, Starliner, or CST-100, had experienced several problems, including helium leaks and thruster issues.
Between Boeing and NASA, along with Williams and Wilmore, it was decided it would be best to return the capsule without the crew, due to safety concerns.
It was safely brought home in September, with the astronauts left to wait for an alternative ride back.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose weeklong mission to the International Space Station unexpectedly stretched into a nine-month stay, returned to Earth on Tuesday as part of a four-person crew aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The capsule was hoisted out of the water onto a boat before the crew were helped out one by one.
It was widely reported across social media and news outlets that the astronauts were “stuck” or “stranded” on the ISS. But in their first news conference since returning, both Williams and Wilmore said they didn’t feel that way.
“We heard about that,” Williams laughed, speaking in response to that narrative on Monday.
Wilmore said it was all about planning.
“We’ve said this before: We had a plan, right? The plan went way off for what we had planned. But because we’re in human spaceflight, we prepare for any number of contingencies,” he said. “Because this is a curvy road. You never know where it’s going to go.”
Instead, Williams and Wilmore formally became part of the Expedition 71/72 crew, working and conducting experiments
They even conducted a spacewalk in January, preparing a spare elbow joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm. It was the ninth spacewalk for Williams and the fifth for Wilmore.
The comforts of home
While they said they enjoyed their time on the ISS and the work they did, they were happy to return to the comforts of home. The first things they wanted to do?
“I wanted to hug my husband and hug my dogs. And I’ll say in that order … maybe not,” Williams said, laughing. “No, I’m just joking.”
And as a vegetarian, she said she also enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich.
For Wilmore, it was a little different.
“Certainly embracing the family again,” Wilmore said. “But also the opportunity — and I’ve already said it a couple of times — just to say thank you to a nation that got involved in all of this. It makes it special, not just for us, but for all.”
When asked how hard it was being away from friends and family for much longer than planned, Wilmore admitted it was “difficult.”
“It wasn’t in the preparation,” he said. “But in my family, we talk about these possibilities. We discussed all of this. We never said we were going to be gone for nine months — but it turned out that way.”
Though they missed out on Thanksgiving and Christmas with their families, they said they still had a good time celebrating the holidays.
“We actually had a reindeer that we built and rode like a bull,” Wilmore said. “But we celebrated in style, trust me.”
It was also made easier when crewmate Nick Hague arrived at the space station on Sept. 28; Williams said he’d brought up a few surprises.
“He was like Santa Claus. [He] had his little bag of goodies for all of us, and it was pretty awesome to have the holidays up there,” Williams said. “It’s pretty unique and not many of us get to do that.”
As for reconditioning and adapting back to gravity, Williams said she’s been adjusting well.
“Our teams here are getting us ready to get ready to take on new challenges,” Williams said. “So, you know, feeling good since we’ve been back almost two weeks now. I actually went out and ran three miles yesterday. So I will give myself a little pat on the back.”
So would they fly on Starliner again?
“Yes, because we’re going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We’re going to fix it. We’re going to make it work,” Wilmore said. “Boeing’s completely committed. NASA is completely committed. And with that, I’d get on in a heartbeat.”
Williams agreed.
“Yeah, I would,” she said. “The spacecraft is really capable. There were a couple things that need to be fixed … and folks are actively working on that, but it’s a great spacecraft.”
