NASA astronauts, who are currently marooned in space until next year, expressed that they did not feel abandoned by Boeing but acknowledged experiencing “tough times.”
Boeing’s inaugural astronaut mission concluded earlier this month with the Starliner capsule returning to Earth, leaving test pilots Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams still in orbit.
Wilmore explained that they “found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the Starliner when we had other options.”
NASA has announced that the duo will now return aboard a SpaceX craft in February 2025, extending their original eight-day mission to over eight months.
At a press conference on Friday evening (September 13) from the International Space Station, Wilmore remarked: “It’s been quite an evolution over the last three months, we’ve been involved from the beginning through all the processes of assessing our spacecraft, Calypso.”
“And it was trying at times. There were some tough times all the way through.”
“You certainly, as the commander and the PLT (pilot) of your spacecraft, you don’t want to see it go off without you, but that’s where we wound up.”
When asked if he felt let down by Boeing after the Starliner returned to Earth without its crew, Wilmore responded: “Let down? Absolutely not. Never entered my mind. I don’t think Suni’s either, until you mentioned it.”
Wilmore added that Boeing was “on board” with “changes that need to be made” after the Starliner capsule’s return without its crew.
During the press conference, Wilmore stated: “Obviously, when you have issues like we’ve had, there’s some changes that need to be made.”
“Boeing’s on board with that. We’re all on board with that.”
Wilmore continued: “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 and that we had the option to stay and we had the option to come back a different way.”
Williams, whose hair floated during the press conference, mentioned that they missed their families during their prolonged stay at the International Space Station.
She added: “I miss my two dogs, I miss my friends. But you know what? Like Butch said, there are so many people on Earth that are sending us messages.”
“And it makes you feel just right at home with everybody when we’re able to have those conversations with our friends and family at home.”