Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been in space for an extended mission, were on board for six months. International Space Station On Thursday, two months to go. The two launched on June 5 aboard Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule, originally intended for a one-week test flight.
They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, but only after managing multiple thruster malfunctions and helium leaks. NASA determined that the capsule was too dangerous for the return trip, extending its challenging mission until February.
‘Living in space is a lot of fun’
“I love everything about being here,” Williams told students at an elementary school named for him in his hometown of Needham, Massachusetts, on Wednesday.
“Just being in space is a lot of fun,” he added.
What do crew members do in space every day?
Both astronauts are experienced astronauts, who have lived on the station before. They seamlessly integrated as crew members, helping with scientific experiments and doing everyday tasks like repairing broken toilets, vacuuming vents, and tending to plants. Sunita Williams took over as station commander in September.
“Mindset goes a long way,” noted Butch Wilmore, answering a question from first-graders in Nashville during an October chat. “I don’t look at these situations in life as downers,” added Wilmore, a native of Mount Joliet, Tennessee.
Williams lost his appetite upon reaching space
Speaking to the students on Wednesday, Williams admitted that he initially had little appetite when he arrived in space.
However, she now feels “super hungry,” eating three meals a day with snacks, while diligently getting in the required two hours of daily exercise.
Sunita Williams has also addressed speculation about her health during the mission, particularly rumors of significant weight loss. He firmly stated that his weight has not changed since the launch.
Sunita William’s Diwali Greetings from ISS
Earlier this year, Sunita shared her heartfelt Diwali wishes to celebrants in the United States and around the world through a video message shared from the International Space Station.
“Greetings from the ISS. I want to extend my best wishes for a Happy Diwali to the White House and everyone celebrating today around the world.” he said.
Williams’ marathon from space, his game-day shirt
An avid distance runner, Sunita, 59, uses the space station treadmill to keep up with races back on Earth. In August, he virtually ran the 7-mile Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod and previously ran the Boston Marathon from space in 2007.
She brought along a New England Patriots jersey for game days and a Red Sox spring training shirt as part of her training inventory.
“Hopefully I’ll get home before that happens — but you never know,” she said in November, while her husband Michael Williams, a retired federal marshal and former Navy aviator, was in Houston. Pet your dogs.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Thanksgiving
NASA previously released footage in which Williams and his colleague detailed a menu appropriate for their particular space, including smoked turkey, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, apples and spices. “It’s going to be delicious,” he said cheerfully.
Wilmore, 61, is absent for her younger daughter’s final year of secondary school and her older daughter’s university theater performance.
“We can’t deny that being apart unexpectedly, especially during the holidays when the whole family gets together, increases the desire to share time and events together,” says his wife Diana. Wilmore told the AP.
She noted that her husband faces more challenges being confined to the space station with limited opportunities for video communication.
“We are definitely looking forward to February!!” he added.
The Olympics from the space station
NASA released a two-minute video on July 26, offering a glimpse of the astronauts’ fun-filled activities.
Earlier in 2023, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio experienced an extended stay when the Russian space agency had to send a replacement capsule for him and two other astronauts, extending his six-month mission to a year. .
Boeing acknowledged this week that Wilmore and Williams’ opinions have been “invaluable” in the ongoing investigation. The company hinted at preparations for the next flight of the Starliner while refusing to give a timeline for the launch.
NASA expressed high praise for both astronauts.
“Whether it was fate or choice, they were the best people for this mission,” NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer Dr. J.D. Pollack said in an interview with The Associated Press.
After Boeing returned its empty Starliner capsule in September, NASA reassigned Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight scheduled for late February. In order to maintain the crew’s six-month rotation schedule, two other astronauts were transferred to accommodate this change.
Like the rest of the station’s crew, Wilmore and Williams prepared for spacewalks and possible emergencies. According to NASA Associate Administrator Jim Frey, “When crews go up, they know they can stay up there for a year.”
Despite NASA officials’ reluctance to label them stranded or stranded, the two retired Navy captains maintain a positive outlook on their situation. Willimore is framing and accepting this, considering an alternative path: “We’re just on a different path.”