“ We were always coming back , and I think mass need to hump that . ” So said NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore as he and fellow astronaut Suni Williams ingest questions for the first time since returning from theirlonger - than - expected stay in orbit .
Wilmore and Williams fly to the International Space Station ( ISS ) in June 2023 in the first crewed flight of stairs of Boeing ’s Starliner space vehicle . The test mission was only supposed to last eight days , but technical issue with the spacecraft prompted NASA to bring the fomite home empty , leaving Wilmore and Williams waiting for a ride home .
NASA adjudicate to stay with its usual crew gyration system , which intend sending up Crew-9 in September with two few astronauts than in the beginning contrive , leaving two seats for Wilmore and Williams when the Crew-9 mission finish on March 18 , nine months after they left Earth .
Many news theme over that meter delineate how the couple were “ stranded ” or “ stuck ” in place , but NASA were safely managing the situation and the pair were never in any risk .
verbalize to reporter ata NASA news conferenceon Monday , Williams said she and Wilmore cognise very well that the outward journeying was a test flight , but when it did n’t turn over out as planned , their years of training and orbital experience kicked in and they just got on with the job .
“ We are International Space Station crew members , and we ’re doing what all of our other admirer in the astronaut federal agency do — go and operate and prepare and and do amazing science experimentation up on the International Space Station , ” Williams said .
When require about who was creditworthy for the charge ’s unexpected outcome , Wilmore responded : “ I ’ll get down with me . There were dubiousness that I , as the commander of the spacecraft , that I should have asked and I did not . At the time , I did n’t know I needed to , and maybe you could call that hindsight but I ’ll get and point the finger and I ’ll charge me . ”
But Wilmore also summate that besides himself , NASA and Boeing “ all own this … we ’re not going to front back … we ’re get to look forrader and say , ‘ what are we going to use , our lessons see , from this whole process ’ and verify we are successful in the future . ”
need about the politicization of the mission , with President Trump and SpaceX boss Elon Musk criminate the Biden administration of blocking efforts to bring the astronauts home early , Crew-9 cosmonaut Nick Hague , also at the news conference , said : “ When we ’re up there operating in space , you do n’t feel the politics , you do n’t feel any of that . It ’s focus strictly on delegation . The political sympathies , they do n’t make it up there . ”
Notably , both astronauts describe Boeing ’s Starliner spacecraft as “ very capable , ” with Wilmore bring that he would ride it again if the opportunity ever arises .
“ We ’re belong to rectify all the issues that we encountered , ” Wilmore say . “ We ’re run short to fix it , we ’re run low to make it work . Boeing ’s completely committed . NASA is completely committed . And with that , I ’d get on in a jiffy . ”
Many reporters were also peculiar about the first things the two astronauts did when they got home . hug lie with 1 was top of the tilt , with Williams also embracing her pawl before enjoy a grill high mallow sandwich .
harmonize to Williams , it was only when they get back to terra firma that they fully realized the extent of interest group in the deputation .
“ When we came home , it was like , ‘ Wow , there are a lot of citizenry who are interested , ’ ” Williams enunciate , adding that she was “ very grateful , very amazed that we could hopefully be one positive factor to bring people together . ”
