Astronaut Stranded in Space Reveals The One Thing She Misses the Most About Earth

It is only when humans are far away, they tend to realize the value of their homes. From a broader perspective, this idea has derived relatability with NASA astronaut Sunita Williams as she remains stranded in space with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore since June 2024. Williams, one of the most experienced spacewalkers, has been living, or rather surviving, at the International Space Station (ISS) after their spacecraft, Boeing Starliner faltered and was sent back to Earth. Following months of floating in a timeless space, Williams recently opened up about the one thing she misses the most about the blue planet, as reported by CBS affiliate WBZ-TV. 

In late January, Williams, who is a former U.S. Naval officer, had a chat with students at Needham High School live from the ISS. She reflected on her detour from Earth and talked about the regular activities she missed doing the most. “I’ve been up here long enough right now I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk,” Williams continued. “I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down. I haven’t laid down. You don’t have to. You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here.”

She subtly expressed her shock about the space journey. What was anticipated to be only a month-long expedition now had Williams celebrating Thanksgiving, and Christmas and even casting their votes for the US elections from space. “The extended stay was just a little bit different,” the Ohio native remarked. According to Brittanica, she was chosen to be part of the first crewed test Starliner flight to the ISS as a pilot in 2022. The mission was scheduled to last for only a week but mechanical failures during the flight urged NASA to delay the spacecraft’s return. Five of the thrusters had faltered in addition to helium leaks in the propulsion system. 

NASA has now sought support from billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk requesting the only private commercial spacecraft organization to help them safely return the two stranded astronauts back to Earth. In August 2024, NASA confirmed that Williams and Wilmore would travel back aboard the SpaceX Crew-9 capsule due in February this year, per CNN. Unfortunately, the plan was once again delayed as the space scientists revealed that the spacecraft would not be ready until late March. 

Steve Stitch, manager of NASA’s Commerical Crew Program gave an idea of the time-consuming process that goes into the preparation of a spacecraft, including fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration. He expressed in a press release, “We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight.” 

According to the space organization, NASA and SpaceX had considered several options to manage the crewed handover ensuring the safety of all the astronauts. Commander Anne McClain and pilot Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) are scheduled to fly out for the rescue mission. Meanwhile, Musk had voiced his concerns about the stranded astronauts promising to return them back home at the request of POTUS Donald Trump. He also took a jibe at former president Joe Biden and his administration. “We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long,” he wrote in the January 29 post on X (@elonmusk).