Space is her “happy place” — even if she’s stuck there indefinitely.
That’s what astronaut Sunita Williams’s husband Michael told The Wall Street Journal about his wife’s current predicament: being stranded on the International Space Station with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore because of problems with their Boeing Starliner.
When the Starliner capsule launched June 5, Williams and Wilmore expected to be in space for just eight days.
But now NASA says their mission could last eight months, with a return possibly happening in February.
The Boeing spacecraft has been plagued by thruster failures and helium leaks, leaving the teams in space to conduct testing to figure out if the capsule can fly.
NASA might be forced to launch a rescue mission, possibly calling on Elon Musk’s SpaceX to get it done.
Williams and Wilmore are living on the ISS with seven other astronauts.
They usually spend their days with scientific research and maintenance of the spacecraft – and also produce educational content such as answering live questions with students and schoolchildren, The Wall Street Journal reported.
They try to to exercise several hours a day to prevent bone and muscle loss typical for space, and their vital signs are monitored from the ground.
Wilmore’s family is equally calm about his extended time in space.
“You know, we probably don’t expect him until February, February or March,” said Wilmore’s wife Deanna.
Wilmore, a University of Tennessee graduate, lives in Texas with his wife and two teenage daughters, Daryn and Logan.
Wilmore’s family says they Facetime with him several times throughout most days as a way to stay in touch.
“It is so cool, he gives us a lot of Earth views, I especially like seeing the sunset,” Daryn Wilmore told WVLT in Nashville.
