The prospect of being stranded in space for an additional 200 days longer than originally planned is a heavy burden for anyone to bear.
However, NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams have managed to maintain a positive attitude and high spirits despite the situation.
The journey has been challenging and is far from over, with the likelihood that they could remain in space until February 2025.
Originally intended to be an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the astronauts encountered several issues with their capsule 64 days ago.
The Boeing Starliner faced multiple malfunctions, including five helium leaks, five maneuvering thrusters going dead, and a propellant valve failing to close properly.
Currently on the ISS with other astronauts, Wilmore and Williams face unique return challenges compared to their companions, whose return means remain functional.
During a briefing with reporters, the astronauts discussed life “off Earth,” with Williams mentioning that they have been keeping “thoroughly busy” on the station.
“We’ve been thoroughly busy up here, integrated right into the crew,” he said. “It feels like coming back home. It feels good to float around. It feels good to be in space and work up with the ISS team. So yeah, it’s great to be up here.”
Even while stranded, Wilmore and Williams continue to fulfill their duties on the ISS, a laboratory orbiting Earth at 17,500 mph every 90 minutes.
Their responsibilities include replacing a urine processing pump, taking inventory of the station’s food supplies, and servicing freezers used for research samples, according to The Washington Post.
Williams previously spoke to the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, about the demands of space life: “You have to work out to maintain your bone density and muscle mass, so that’s part of the day.”
She added: “You also leave a family behind and being able to make a phone call once a day or doing a video conference on the weekend is really nice. Those are the hardest parts about going away for that long.”
Both Wilmore, 61, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Williams, 58, from Needham, Massachusetts, have families they left behind and are both retired Navy captains.
Wilmore is married with two daughters, while Williams is also married and has dogs.
Among their many science experiments, they are using an ultrasound machine to scan their veins to observe the effects of space on the human body and are gathering data.
Other tasks include engaging in weightless Olympics-inspired workouts, one of the numerous activities that keep the astronauts occupied.