Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore began a flight into space in June 2024 aboard an experimental Boeing-built spacecraft, hoping to remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for eight days.
The space capsule, called Starliner, was developed by Boeing for NASA, and this flight was the first with a crew of astronauts on board.
But problems soon arose. There were complications with the capsule’s propellants, as well as leaks of helium gas that injects fuel into the propulsion system.
As NASA analyzed the technical problems, the two astronauts’ return was postponed repeatedly. Without a definitive date, the result has been that they have been “stranded” on the space station for nearly nine months.
But, although unexpected, this is not a Robinson Crusoe-like situation. They have all the support resources of NASA, and Williams and Wilmore are both experienced astronauts with many hours of spaceflight under their belts, and they claim to be trained to “expect the unexpected.”
They have enthusiastically dedicated themselves to conducting scientific research and maintaining the ISS, in a way that all the astronauts who inhabit it contribute.
Who are these two veteran astronauts?
Sunita “Suni” Williams, 58, is the daughter of an Indian father and a Slovenian mother. She graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Physical Sciences in 1987 and later earned a master’s degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.
She was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and is a veteran of two space missions prior to her current stay on the International Space Station.
She has also worked in Moscow with the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, on Russia’s contribution to the space station.
She has diversified his knowledge by working in the robotics division. Williams spent a total of 322 days in space during his two previous missions.
She has completed nine spacewalks—a record for a woman—and is the second-longest cumulative female astronaut in spacewalks, with a total of 50 hours and 40 minutes.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore, 61, received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University and a Master of Science degree in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee.
He has extensive military experience, as an officer and pilot in the U.S. Navy, with more than 8,000 flight hours and 663 aircraft carrier landings.
He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in July 2000 and is a retired captain in the United States Navy.
Butch is a veteran of two spaceflights and has accumulated 178 days in space, according to NASA. However, that number will be overwhelmingly surpassed as the time he spent on his last mission has yet to be added up.
On his final mission, he served as flight engineer for Expedition 41, and assumed command of the ISS upon the arrival of the Expedition 42 crew.
He returned from this mission to Earth in March 2015. During the mission, he accumulated 167 days in space and performed four spacewalks.
What have you been doing all this time?
Most space missions last about six months, so spending more than nine months on the ISS is unusual, especially if you thought it would only be eight days.
However, both NASA and astronauts are prepared for any eventuality.
“That’s what human spaceflight is all about, planning for unexpected contingencies, and that’s what we did,” Butch Wilmore said in an interview the agency broadcast live on March 4.
NASA announced it has sent two resupply flights to the ISS, carrying food, water, clothing, and oxygen. In addition, a new group of astronauts has joined the station’s crew, led by Commander Nick Hague.
Hague said in the March 4 interview that the space station mission is “something we deeply believe in,” adding that it requires the team to accept the risks of space exploration.
For their part, Williams and Willmore have adapted well to their extended mission. They haven’t been on vacation. Astronauts are usually quite busy, assisting with the complex operations of the station, including fixing a damaged bathroom.
They’ve conducted a spacewalk together and have conducted several scientific experiments. Their research includes observing how plants grow in space, monitoring how the human body reacts in weightlessness, and even how to grow food.
It’s a routine that Wilmore starts at 4:30 a.m. and Williams at 6:30 a.m. Both also enjoy two or more hours of daily exercise, which is essential to combat the loss of bone density that occurs in space.
The personal effects of life in space
Despite being fully engaged with all their responsibilities aboard the ISS, Williams and Wilmore admit it has been a challenging time, particularly for their families.
Suni Williams says the events have been like a “roller coaster” for families, with the uncertainty of when they’d be able to return. That’s been the hardest part, she says.
Once back, they will go through a major adjustment period, Dr. Simeon Barber of the Open University in the UK explained to the BBC.
“When you’re sent on a work trip that’s supposed to last a week, you’re not expecting it to last the better part of a year,” he said.
“This extended stay in space will have disrupted family life; things will have happened in their homes that will have been missed, so there will be a period of disruption.”
At the same time, the astronauts acknowledged that they will miss life in space.
For Butch Wilmore, one of the aspects of weightlessness is that the aches and pains that come with aging aren’t felt. “Your joints don’t hurt, that’s pretty good,” he said in the interview.
But he also commented on the great sense of responsibility, like helping another colleague put on their suit for a spacewalk and then opening the hatch to bring them back in. It’s the proudest moment, he explained.
For her part, Suni Williams said, “I’ll miss everything about space.” She described how it has given her an “incredible perspective,” especially on Earth, which she would like to “somehow bottle” and bring back with her.
“It opens the door to thinking a little differently. It’s the only planet we have, and we should take care of it,” he noted.
He also said the most exciting moment was seeing the aurora from space. “The sun has been very active. It puts you in your place and makes you recognize that the universe is extremely powerful.”
Still, both astronauts are eagerly awaiting their return to Earth.
After about two days of handover with the new crew, and if weather conditions are favorable on Earth, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and two other astronauts on the ISS will return aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
“We’re going to go home, ride the plasma, take a dip in the ocean, that’s what we’re looking forward to,” added Butch Wilmore.