After spending an unexpected nine months in space, Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is finally set to return to Earth. Originally part of an eight-day trip to the International Space Station (ISS) in June last year, Williams and her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore were stranded in orbit due to technical glitches in their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. NASA, in collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, will now launch a mission on March 12 to bring them back home.
Williams on What She Will Miss About Space
During a recent press conference from the ISS, Williams was asked what she would miss the most after leaving space. Without hesitation, she replied, “Everything.”
“This has been Butch and my third flight to the ISS. We helped put it together, and we’ve been up here watching it change. Just living here gives us a unique perspective—not just outside the window, obviously—but on how to solve problems. I don’t want to lose that spark of inspiration and perspective when I leave, so I am going to have to bottle it up somehow,” Williams explained.
The Hardest Part of Being Stranded in Space
Williams also spoke about the difficulties of spending months in space without a clear return date. “It has been a rollercoaster for them [family and supporters], probably more than it has been for us. We are here, we have a mission. We do what we have to do every day. The hardest thing has been not knowing when we’d come back. All of that uncertainty has been the most difficult part,” she shared.
NASA’s Plans for Williams’ Homecoming
Williams and Wilmore are now closer than ever to their return to Earth. The duo are currently awaiting the arrival of their replacements on the ISS. NASA’s Crew-10 mission, which was initially scheduled to bring them back by the end of March or mid-April, has now been moved up, with a launch scheduled for March 12.
SpaceX has provided an older capsule for the return journey, with the astronauts expected to be back on Earth by March 19. The Crew-10 team, consisting of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, will stay on the ISS for a six-month mission.
As Williams prepares for her long-awaited return, she remains deeply grateful for her time in space, cherishing the unique experiences and perspectives gained during her extended mission.
Sources By Agencies
