The mother of one of the astronauts stuck aboard the International Space Station said NASA made the right move by forgoing her daughter’s return on Boeing’s troubled Starliner to instead wait for SpaceX in February.
Bonnie Pandya, the mother of Suni Williams, 58, said she was “very happy” with the decision even if it meant her daughter and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, 61, would remain in space for five more months — despite the fact that their original mission was meant to last just eight days, TMZ reports.
“I’m very happy that they decided not to send her down right away,” she told the outlet. “You never know, there were two accidents with the shuttle already.
“I sure as heck wouldn’t want that to happen to my daughter… or anybody else! So, better safe than sorry,” she added.
The two accidents Pandya was referring to are the helium leaks Starliner suffered prior to taking off on its maiden voyage, leaks that only got worse once the shuttle reached the ISS.
The ship also suffered multiple thruster failures, many of which were mitigated, but Starliner’s problem ultimately forced NASA to tap SpaceX’s Dragon Crew for help in getting the astronauts home.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson said his decision was partially informed by the 1986 Challenger disaster and the 2003 Columbia tragedy, with the space agency committed to never allowing such incidents to happen again.
The decision, announced last Saturday, served as a major blow to Boeing, which had already been dealing with the backlash over its commercial planes following a series of high-profile safety mishaps.
While NASA’s decision means Williams and Wilmore’s stay in space will be much longer than anticipated, Pandya touted her daughter’s ability to roll with the punches given her status as a seasoned astronaut.
This is Williams’ third, and likely last, mission to space, with the astronaut previously spending 322 days away from Earth.
She has now spent more than 400 cumulative days in space following her trip in June, with the latest extension set to push her to at least 560 total days.
