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NASA's stuck astronauts hit 6 months in space. Just 2 more to go
Well, you know, we actually had *** couple of duties while we were getting ready to let the starliner depart. There are some things that the International Space Station has to get ready and be prepared and make sure that it understands that *** visiting vehicle has undocked and it goes back to its normal regime of operating. So actually, we were tasked with that, we were up in the cupola and we were watching our spaceship, you know, fly away at that point in time. So I think, I think it was good, we had some extra activities, you know, of course, we're very knowledgeable about star starliner. So it was, it was obvious, you know, what was happening at each moment. We were talking to our control team, people, friends of ours that we, we know we know how much time and effort that they have put into this spacecraft, the excellent and precision uh activities that they're doing down on the ground. It was, it was nice to have that, you know, one on one conversation over the space to ground as Steiner was leaving. Uh just knowing that she was in their hands and they were going to do the best that they could to get her back home. Um Other thoughts about seeing it leave, you know, like we're, like you mentioned, we're both, you know, navy, we've both been on deployments. We're not surprised when deployments gets changed. I mean, our families extended, our families are used to that as well. So, uh that is, that's not *** humongous surprise, I think like Butch said, this is, this is test, I think before we even flew, we had an interview with *** lot of you and the same thing that, you know, *** test flight means that we're probably going to find some stuff we've done as much as we can to look at the envelope that we're going to operate in. But this is the first time that we've had humans in space in starliner and we did find stuff and, you know, we made the right decisions and we're here and that's how things go in this business. Like what said it's risky and that's how it goes in the business. Welcome to Joey Roulette with Reuters. Hey, thank you. Um for both of you, you know, you both have had for the past few years. You played *** very kind of intimate role in starliner development, which of course, has not been easy for Boeing for *** number of reasons. Um And I know failures are common in spacecraft testing, but looking back what could Boeing have done differently in starliner development. That is *** very interesting and *** very fair question. I, I'll say this, there is not enough time right now to go into all the details to make any answer. I think that I could, I could give uh make complete sense. I could say *** few things and it would be taken the wrong way, *** way that I didn't mean it to be so for questions like that, all that will play out. Um uh In the coming months, we've got lessons learn that we will go through. We will have discussions, we will be involved with those discussions and things that need to change will change. Obviously, when you have issues like we've had, there are some changes that need to be made. Boeing's on board with that. We're all on board with that. And I can tell you when you push the edge of the envelope again and you do things with spacecraft that have never been done before, just like starliner, you're going to find some things. And in this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the starliner when we had other options. There's many cases in the past where there have not been other options. We were very fortunate that we have the space station um and that we had the option to stay and we had the option to come back *** different way if that's what the data showed I think the data could have gotten there. We could have gotten to the point, I believe where we could have returned on starliner, but we just simply ran out of time.
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NASA's stuck astronauts hit 6 months in space. Just 2 more to go
Known across the globe as the stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the six-month mark in space Thursday with two more to go.The pair rocketed into orbit on June 5, the first to ride Boeing's new Starliner crew capsule on what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, only after overcoming a cascade of thruster failures and helium leaks. NASA deemed the capsule too risky for a return flight, so it will be February before their long and trying mission comes to a close.While NASA managers bristle at calling them stuck or stranded, the two retired Navy captains shrug off the description of their plight. They insist they're fine and accepting of their fate. Wilmore views it as a detour of sorts: "We're just on a different path.""I like everything about being up here," Williams told students Wednesday from an elementary school named for her in Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown. "Just living in space is super fun."Both astronauts have lived up there before so they quickly became full-fledged members of the crew, helping with science experiments and chores like fixing a broken toilet, vacuuming the air vents and watering the plants. Williams took over as station commander in September."Mindset does go a long way," Wilmore said in response to a question from Nashville first-graders in October. He's from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. "I don't look at these situations in life as being downers."Boeing flew its Starliner capsule home empty in September, and NASA moved Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight not due back until late February. Two other astronauts were bumped to make room and to keep to a six-month schedule for crew rotations.Like other station crews, Wilmore and Williams trained for spacewalks and any unexpected situations that might arise."When the crews go up, they know they could be there for up to a year," said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free.NASA astronaut Frank Rubio found that out the hard way when the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a replacement capsule for him and two cosmonauts in 2023, pushing their six-month mission to just past a year.Boeing said this week that input from Wilmore and Williams has been "invaluable" in the ongoing inquiry of what went wrong. The company said in a statement that it is preparing for Starliner's next flight but declined comment on when it might launch again.NASA also has high praise for the pair."Whether it was luck or whether it was selection, they were great folks to have for this mission," NASA's chief health and medical officer, Dr. JD Polk, said during an interview with The Associated Press.On top of everything else, Williams, 59, has had to deal with "rumors," as she calls them, of serious weight loss. She insists her weight is the same as it was on launch day, which Polk confirms.During Wednesday's student chat, Williams said she didn't have much of an appetite when she first arrived in space. But now she's "super hungry" and eating three meals a day plus snacks, while logging the required two hours of daily exercise.Williams, a distance runner, uses the space station treadmill to support races in her home state. She competed in Cape Cod's 7-mile Falmouth Road Race in August. She ran the 2007 Boston Marathon up there as well.She has a New England Patriots shirt with her for game days, as well as a Red Sox spring training shirt."Hopefully I'll be home before that happens -- but you never know," she said in November. Husband Michael Williams, a retired federal marshal and former Navy aviator, is caring for their dogs back home in Houston.As for Wilmore, 61, he's missing his younger daughter's senior year in high school and his older daughter's theater productions in college."We can't deny that being unexpectedly separated, especially during the holidays when the entire family gets together, brings increased yearnings to share the time and events together," his wife, Deanna Wilmore, told the AP in a text this week. Her husband "has it worse than us" since he's confined to the space station and can only connect via video for short periods."We are certainly looking forward to February!!" she wrote.
Known across the globe as the stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the six-month mark in space Thursday with two more to go.
The pair rocketed into orbit on June 5, the first to ride Boeing's new Starliner crew capsule on what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, only after overcoming a cascade of thruster failures and helium leaks. NASA deemed the capsule too risky for a return flight, so it will be February before their long and trying mission comes to a close.
While NASA managers bristle at calling them stuck or stranded, the two retired Navy captains shrug off the description of their plight. They insist they're fine and accepting of their fate. Wilmore views it as a detour of sorts: "We're just on a different path."
"I like everything about being up here," Williams told students Wednesday from an elementary school named for her in Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown. "Just living in space is super fun."
Both astronauts have lived up there before so they quickly became full-fledged members of the crew, helping with science experiments and chores like fixing a broken toilet, vacuuming the air vents and watering the plants. Williams took over as station commander in September.
"Mindset does go a long way," Wilmore said in response to a question from Nashville first-graders in October. He's from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. "I don't look at these situations in life as being downers."
Boeing flew its Starliner capsule home empty in September, and NASA moved Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight not due back until late February. Two other astronauts were bumped to make room and to keep to a six-month schedule for crew rotations.
Like other station crews, Wilmore and Williams trained for spacewalks and any unexpected situations that might arise.
"When the crews go up, they know they could be there for up to a year," said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio found that out the hard way when the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a replacement capsule for him and two cosmonauts in 2023, pushing their six-month mission to just past a year.
Boeing said this week that input from Wilmore and Williams has been "invaluable" in the ongoing inquiry of what went wrong. The company said in a statement that it is preparing for Starliner's next flight but declined comment on when it might launch again.
NASA also has high praise for the pair.
"Whether it was luck or whether it was selection, they were great folks to have for this mission," NASA's chief health and medical officer, Dr. JD Polk, said during an interview with The Associated Press.
On top of everything else, Williams, 59, has had to deal with "rumors," as she calls them, of serious weight loss. She insists her weight is the same as it was on launch day, which Polk confirms.
During Wednesday's student chat, Williams said she didn't have much of an appetite when she first arrived in space. But now she's "super hungry" and eating three meals a day plus snacks, while logging the required two hours of daily exercise.
Williams, a distance runner, uses the space station treadmill to support races in her home state. She competed in Cape Cod's 7-mile Falmouth Road Race in August. She ran the 2007 Boston Marathon up there as well.
She has a New England Patriots shirt with her for game days, as well as a Red Sox spring training shirt.
"Hopefully I'll be home before that happens -- but you never know," she said in November. Husband Michael Williams, a retired federal marshal and former Navy aviator, is caring for their dogs back home in Houston.
As for Wilmore, 61, he's missing his younger daughter's senior year in high school and his older daughter's theater productions in college.
"We can't deny that being unexpectedly separated, especially during the holidays when the entire family gets together, brings increased yearnings to share the time and events together," his wife, Deanna Wilmore, told the AP in a text this week. Her husband "has it worse than us" since he's confined to the space station and can only connect via video for short periods.
"We are certainly looking forward to February!!" she wrote.
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