Butch Wilmore has opened up about a grim thought he had while being stuck in space.
NASA astronauts Wilmore and Suni Williams embarked on their space journey in June 2024, which was initially planned to be an eight-day mission. However, their plans were disrupted after reaching the International Space Station (ISS).
Upon arrival at the ISS, they encountered technical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which failed to dock properly. This spacecraft was meant to bring them back to Earth, but the newfound issues rendered it unsafe for their return journey.
They remained in space until March 2025 when they finally returned to Earth.
Although the pair maintained a positive outlook during their unexpectedly extended stay at the ISS, Wilmore confessed that there was one unsettling question they couldn’t shake off — whether they would ever make it back home.
In an interview with the BBC, he said: “Docking was imperative. If we weren’t able to dock, would we be able to make it back? We didn’t know.”
Wilmore further noted that the thought of never seeing Earth again did cross their minds.
Despite this daunting thought, neither Wilmore nor Williams expressed their concerns aloud, choosing instead to concentrate on resolving the issue.
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“You sort of read each other’s mind and know where we’re going with all the failures,” Williams explained. “These were not expected. At the same time, you know, we’re like, what do we have? What can we do?”
Despite the many delays in their rescue efforts, Williams and Wilmore remained confident that ‘nobody was going to just let us down’.
“We knew everybody had our back and was looking out for us,” Williams added.
Prolonged time in space can have severe effects on the human body, but Wilmore claims he returned ‘stronger than I’ve ever been in my life’ thanks to his routine of squats and deadlifts during his time in space.
In spite of the challenges posed by Boeing’s spacecraft, both Wilmore and Williams expressed willingness to fly in the Starliner again (once its issues are resolved, of course).
“It’s a very capable spacecraft,” Williams stated. “It has unique capabilities compared to other spacecraft that are out there that are really great for future astronauts to fly.”
Wilmore also expressed a ‘very positively hopeful’ attitude about flying in Starliner again.