Stuck-in-Space Astronauts Stay at ISS Until Late February

The two Starliner test pilots — both retired Navy captains and longtime NASA astronauts — will remain at the orbiting laboratory until late February. They have to wait for a SpaceX capsule to bring them back. That spacecraft is due to launch later this month with a reduced crew of two, with two empty seats for Wilmore and Williams for the return trip.

Stuck-in-space astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams said it was difficult to watch their Boeing capsule return to Earth without them. It was their first public comments since last week’s return of the Boeing Starliner capsule that took them to the International Space Station in June. They stayed behind after NASA determined the capsule posed too much risk for their return journey.

“That’s how it goes in this business,” said Williams, adding that “you have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity.”

Williams and Wilmore are now full-fledged station crew members, assisting with routine maintenance and experiments. The transition to station life was “not that hard” since both had previous stints there, said Williams, who will soon take over as station commander.

“This is my happy place. I love being up here in space,” she said.

The duo expressed gratitude for all the prayers and well wishes from strangers back home. Wilmore mentioned he will miss out on family milestones such as being around for his youngest daughter’s final year of high school.

The Starliner capsule marked the first Boeing spaceflight with astronauts. It faced thruster failures and leaks before arriving at the space station on June 6. Boeing’s path forward in NASA’s commercial crew program remains uncertain.

The space agency hired SpaceX and Boeing as an orbital taxi service a decade ago after the shuttles retired. SpaceX has been flying astronauts since 2020.

Source: AP News