CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who initially launched for an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), finally returned to Earth after spending 286 days in space.
Their safe return took place on March 18 aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Today, for the first time since coming back to Earth earlier this March, the two astronauts shared their space experiences publicly from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Upon returning after such a long stay in space, Sunita Williams expressed her emotions, saying, “The first thing I wanted to do was hug my husband and my pet dogs.” She added that the first thing she enjoyed at home was a grilled cheese sandwich, which reminded her of her father.
Speaking about their safe return, Butch Wilmore said, “We are grateful to this country, to the people who prayed for us and stood with us.” Sunita added, “We had no idea what was happening on Earth, but we feel honored and humbled by people’s responses.” She emphasized, “What we’re doing is important. Teams are helping us with rehabilitation and preparing us for new challenges.”
Of Indian origin, Sunita Williams described her time aboard the ISS as a priceless scientific opportunity. She mentioned conducting several important experiments during the mission. This mission has been recorded as the sixth longest in the history of American space missions, though the record for the longest stay belongs to NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who stayed in space for 371 days.
Answering why the astronauts had to remain in space for 286 days instead of just eight, Williams and Wilmore explained that technical issues in the Starliner spacecraft—developed by NASA and Boeing—forced them to stay aboard the ISS. Their mission was initially for just over a week, but due to problems in the Starliner’s propulsion system, NASA kept delaying their return. Eventually, it was decided that a return via SpaceX Crew Dragon was safer, making their comeback possible. A detailed investigation into the Starliner’s failure is currently underway. NASA and SpaceX are now preparing new missions to prevent similar issues in the future.
Regarding the impact of long-term space travel, Sunita and Butch said they are currently undergoing a rehabilitation process at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to readjust their muscles and bones to Earth’s gravity. They are doing special exercises to better adapt to Earth’s environment.
When asked who is responsible for their extended stay in space, Butch Wilmore responded, “We are all responsible. We should look forward; there’s no point in blaming anyone.” He added, “We are going to fix the problems.”
Nick Hague, who accompanied them, supported this sentiment, saying, “Our focus was on the mission. There was no room for politics up there.”
Nick Hague further said, “We’ve all done multiple missions aboard the space station. This is the golden age of the ISS.” He added, “When I think about the future of human space exploration, I feel truly optimistic. This mission was our national goal and focus.”
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