Following the successful return of the Starliner spacecraft to Earth in early September, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally shared their experiences from their space station mission. In a video press conference held late Friday, Williams expressed her enjoyment of her time in space, stating, “This is my happy place. I love being up here in space. It’s fun…it adds a little different perspective.” She described the peaceful nature of space, emphasizing the importance of Earth as our shared home.
Wilmore, however, revealed that the mission had its share of challenges. He described encountering “trying times” during their stay on the spacecraft, emphasizing the need for improvements. “We have lessons learned that we will go through. We will have discussions” with NASA and Boeing, Wilmore said, outlining the necessary changes to ensure future missions run smoothly. He highlighted the team’s commitment to making these adjustments.
The decision to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX craft was made after the discovery of issues with the Starliner. Wilmore explained, “In this case, we found some things we could just not get comfortable with putting us back in the Starliner when we have other options…we were very fortunate that we had space station and that we had other options to stay and come back in different way if that’s what the data showed.” Despite the challenges, Wilmore expressed belief that they could have returned on the Starliner with more time, but the short-term nature of the mission and the necessary testing and assessments ultimately led to the decision to switch vehicles.
The astronauts, currently still in space, are scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX craft. Their experiences highlight the ongoing challenges and advancements in the field of space exploration, emphasizing the dedication and commitment of the teams involved.
