‘We wanted to take Starliner to completion’: Sunita Williams speaks for first time after Boeing spacecraft landed on Earth.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams shared her thoughts on the uncrewed return of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, reflecting on the technical issues that led to the change in plans. Williams and fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore are now set to return to Earth in February 2025.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has expressed her desire to have completed her mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which returned to Earth without her and fellow astronaut Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore. Speaking from the International Space Station (ISS) during a press conference on Friday, Williams shared her thoughts on the spacecraft’s return and the decision to delay their homecoming until February 2025.
Reflecting on the Starliner’s uncrewed landing, Williams explained that she and Wilmore were initially scheduled to return on the Boeing spacecraft, but technical issues during the mission led NASA to change plans. “We wanted to take Starliner to completion and land back on land at home, but you know, you have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity,” Williams said.
Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Starliner on June 5 as part of the spacecraft’s first crewed mission, with the original plan being to stay in orbit for just over a week. However, after encountering thruster malfunctions and other problems, NASA decided it was safer to return the Starliner uncrewed, which it successfully did on September 6, landing in New Mexico.
Why Starliner wasn’t ready
Wilmore, also speaking during the press conference, shed more light on why they didn’t return on the Starliner. “We could have gotten to the point, I believe, where we could have returned on Starliner, but we just simply ran out of time,” he said. While the astronauts were hopeful they could have resolved the technical issues, safety concerns ultimately led NASA to make the call to extend their stay on the ISS. Wilmore added, “In this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the Starliner when we had other options.”
Despite the setbacks, Williams expressed her satisfaction with the Starliner’s uncrewed return, emphasising the importance of safety and testing. “This is the first time we’ve had humans in space in Starliner, and we did find stuff, and we made the right decisions. That’s how things go in this business,” she explained.
领英推荐
Staying in space until 2025
NASA has now confirmed that Williams and Wilmore will return to Earth in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, as part of the Crew-9 mission. Their extended stay aboard the ISS has transformed what was initially planned as a short mission into an eight-month endeavour.
The astronauts remain positive about the situation. Williams, a seasoned space traveller, described her time on the ISS as a “happy place,” adding that the transition to life aboard the station wasn’t difficult for her or Wilmore, both of whom have extensive experience in space.
While they remain on the ISS, Williams and Wilmore continue to work as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew. Both astronauts are focused on their duties and have also requested ballots to vote in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections from space. Williams highlighted the importance of performing civic duties, even from space, and expressed her excitement about having the opportunity to vote from orbit.
Linkedin Profile: