Seasoned Astronaut: Sunita Williams' Mother, Husband Reacts To Her Extended ISS Stay
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6, 2024 for an 8 days mission but now they have to stay for eight months in orbit due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.
The Two astronauts will return to earth next February in SpaceX crew dragon. The Spacecraft will be launched in September as part of SpaceX’s routine mission.
“The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring the Boeing Starliner home uncrewed is a result of a commitment to safety,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson told reporters.
Boeing’s Starliner will attempt to come back to earth without the astronauts whereas SpaceX's Crew-9 will carry both the astronauts back instead of four, which was planned earlier.
Astronauts will separately reconfigure SpaceX’s Crew-8 capsule, currently docked at the ISS, to be able to carry six astronauts home in the case of an emergency
Now, mother and also the husband of Sunita Williams has reacted to the delay in return to earth.
Bonnie Pandya, mother of Sunita Williams, stated that she is unbothered with the developments of the delay. In an interview with NewsNation host Andrew Cuomo, Pandya called her daughter a “seasoned astronaut.”
“I don’t give her any advice. She knows what to do. She is a seasoned astronaut. She’s been up for over 400 days in space,” Pandya said.
Sunita Williams, who spoke with her mother, asked her mother to “not to worry about her” and ensured her that “everything’s going to be fine.”
Meanwhile, Sunita Williams’ husband Michael J. Williams has reacted to the delay in return. “That's her happy place,” he said in an interview to the Wall Street Journal.
