Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth this month after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station. While they ended up spending 272 days more than they initially planned, both are looking at it on the bright side.
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Wilmore and Williams sat down with Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom” for their first interview since they touched back down on the Earth’s surface. During their discussion with host Bill Hemmer, the pair said they are grateful that their situation has resulted in more attention being paid to the ISS and the important work done there.
While they initially were scheduled to spend just eight days aboard the ISS after taking a Boeing Starliner space shuttle to the station, the pair quickly found their return to Earth delayed thanks to concerns about the spacecraft.
“My first thought was we’ve just got to pivot,” Williams said.
Williams added that after it was made clear they would be spending the remainder of 2024 in orbit, the only thing left to do was work hard and keep the right attitude.
“If our spacecraft was going to go home based on decisions made here, and we were going to be up there until February, I was like, ‘Let’s make the best of it,’” she said.
Wilmore detailed his reaction, saying it wasn’t about how he was feeling but the work he has dedicated his life to.
“It’s about what this human spaceflight program is about. It’s our national goals,” Wilmore said.
“And I have to wrap… my mind around, what does our nation need out of me right now? That’s going back to when we’re in the fleet, and we’re operating from the pointy end of the spear… We’re an instrument of our nation, of our national goals. Did I think about not being there for my daughter’s high school year? Of course. But… we’ve trained them to be resilient, my daughters and my family,” he added.
After issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft left the pair stuck in space, their situation quickly became a political talking point. Many questioned former President Joe Biden over his role in returning the astronauts to Earth, while then-presidential candidate Donald Trump vowed to do everything he could to bring them home.
However, the pair refuted that they were “stuck” in space, saying they didn’t blame anyone as the situation was caused by “new technology” that they were tasked with testing.
“‘They’ failed you. Who? Who’s ‘they’?” Wilmore asked. “There are many questions that, as the commander of CFT, I didn’t ask, so I’m culpable... I’ll admit that to the nation. There’s things that I did not ask that I should have asked. I didn’t know at the time that I needed to ask them, but, in hindsight… some of the signals were there. Is Boeing to blame? Are they culpable? Sure. Is NASA to blame? Are they culpable? Sure. Everybody has a piece in this… There were some shortcomings in tests and shortcomings in preparations that we did not foresee.”
However, SpaceX, owned by Trump supporter and adviser Elon Musk, was tasked with bringing the pair home, which many saw as a victory for Trump.
Hemmer asked the astronauts what they would like to say to Musk and Trump about their role in helping them get home.
“I am grateful that our national leaders actually are coming in and taking part in our human spaceflight program, which we see is hugely important global significance, and they take an active role," Wilmore said. "Based on the past and what we see now, with them doing that… it’s not just refreshing, it’s empowering. It’s strengthening for our nation. I think it’s a good thing for our nation when the national leaders, especially something that’s high visibility, are involved in the process. I’m grateful for that.”
Williams agreed, saying the spotlight has helped show the importance of their work.
"[It allows them to] understand that our involvement as a country, as a spacefaring nation, is really important throughout the world. It sets an example, and it shows our ability to be able to do the hard things, put people in space, operate in space, work in space, and then bring us back. It's important, and I appreciate that," she added.
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