Two NASA astronauts who’ve been caught on the Worldwide Area Station since June 2024 have stated they “don’t really feel like castaways”.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams originally planned to go to space for just eight days however acquired caught on the ISS when their Boeing Starliner spacecraft skilled a myriad of issues. By September, it had returned to Earth with out them.
Talking to NASA leaders in a dwell video occasion on Wednesday night, the pair appeared in good spirits alongside two different astronauts.
Responding to a query referencing the Tom Hanks movie Solid Away, by which the principle character is stranded on a desert island, Ms Williams stated she and Mr Wilmore didn’t really feel deserted.
“Finally we wanna go dwelling,” she added. “We left our households a short time in the past.
“However we’ve quite a bit to do up right here and we’ve to get that stuff finished earlier than we go.”
The astronauts additionally stated that they had not but been in a position to see the wildfires spreading in California from the window of the area station as a result of path of their orbit. However they might take footage from the area station once they do go over the US state to assist these on the bottom, they added.
Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams, each retired Navy captains, have had their journey dwelling repeatedly delayed.
Final month, their scheduled February return was pushed again as soon as extra due to issues with the SpaceX rocket that was going to select them up.
The astronauts are ready for NASA’s subsequent crew to reach on the ISS to allow them to take their locations on the rocket dwelling, together with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Learn extra on stranded astronauts:
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In August, Boeing insisted the astronauts are “not caught” and Ms Williams known as the area station her “comfortable place”.
Virtually six months later, the pair have spent the US election, Thanksgiving and Christmas aboard the ISS.
They had been each in a position to vote in the US election, however, and though Mr Wilmore is lacking most of his daughter’s remaining yr of highschool, the astronauts appeared comfortable in Wednesday’s name again to Earth.
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They don’t seem to be at risk; astronauts have spent far longer in area, with the file going to Russian Valeri Polyakov.
He spent 437 days off Earth within the mid-Nineties.
In 2023, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio got here again from a 371-day journey, breaking the file for the longest period of time spent in area by an American.
The astronauts on the ISS additionally acquired two cargo deliveries not too long ago, with garments, meals, water and oxygen, in response to NASA.
“The resupply spacecraft additionally carried particular objects for the crew to have fun the vacations aboard the orbital platform,” stated the area company in December.
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Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams have turn into a part of the common ISS crew, taking over duties like plumbing and restore of the area station.
Subsequent week, Ms Williams is due to participate in a spacewalk with one other crew member to exchange a chunk of package on the skin of the area station that helps with orientation.
They will additionally repair a telescope and a reflector, in addition to different objects.
It’s going to be Ms Williams’ eighth area stroll throughout her lengthy NASA profession.
