Two NASA astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station since June 2024 have reassured that they do not feel abandoned.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were originally scheduled for an eight-day trip but were left stuck on the ISS when their Boeing Starliner spacecraft encountered multiple issues. They were left behind when the spacecraft returned to Earth in September.
During a live video event with NASA leaders on Wednesday evening, the astronauts, along with two other crew members, appeared to be in good spirits.
Addressing a reference to the movie Cast Away starring Tom Hanks, where the protagonist is stranded on a deserted island, Ms. Williams stated that she and Mr. Wilmore did not feel abandoned.
“Eventually we want to go home,” she added. “We left our families some time ago.
“But we have a lot of work to do up here and we need to complete our tasks before returning.”
The astronauts mentioned that they have not yet had the opportunity to observe the wildfires in California from the space station window due to their orbital path. However, they expressed their intention to take photos of the wildfires when they fly over the US state to assist those on the ground.
Starliner spacecraft docked at the International Space Station. Pic: NASA
Both Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams, retired Navy captains, have experienced multiple delays in their trip back home.
Their scheduled return in February was recently postponed again due to complications with the SpaceX rocket that was supposed to retrieve them.
The astronauts are waiting for NASA’s next crew to arrive at the ISS so they can board the rocket home, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Find out more about the stranded astronauts:
Their journey to getting stuck in space and their potential return
In August, Boeing clarified that the astronauts are “not stranded,” and Ms. Williams referred to the space station as her “happy place.”
After nearly six months, the astronauts have spent significant events such as the US election, Thanksgiving, and Christmas on the ISS.
Although Mr. Wilmore is missing his daughter’s final year of high school, both astronauts were able to vote in the US election, and during the call back to Earth on Wednesday, they seemed content.
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The astronauts are not in danger; astronauts have spent much longer periods in space, with the record held by Russian Valeri Polyakov who spent 437 days off Earth in the mid-1990s.
In 2023, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returned from a 371-day mission, breaking the American record for the longest time spent in space.
Recently, the ISS crew received two cargo deliveries containing supplies like clothing, food, water, and oxygen, according to NASA.
“The resupply spacecraft also brought special items for the crew to celebrate the holidays on the space platform,” the space agency stated in December.
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Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams have seamlessly integrated into the regular ISS crew, taking on roles such as plumbing and space station repairs.
Next week, Ms. Williams is set to participate in a spacewalk with another crew member to replace a component on the exterior of the space station that aids in orientation.
They will also be repairing a telescope and a reflector, among other tasks.
This will mark Ms. Williams’ eighth spacewalk in her extensive NASA career.