Fox NEws
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to earth on March 18th after spending 9 unanticipated months in space when they were ‘stranded’ and asked to complete an additional tour. Their additional time in space was highly politicized but in their first interview since returning to earth, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams refused to cast blame or point fingers after being stranded.
Their interview debuted today on FoxNews’ America’s Newsroom and it is the first time the public got to hear directly from the two stranded NASA astronauts. Hearing about their experience directly from the astronauts adds desperately-needed context to their divisive delay in space.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were asked straight up “so the plan was for 8 days and I’m wondering how you prepped for that versus a trip that lasts 286 days?”
Butch Wilmore was obviously ready for that question and responded by saying “we prepped as if we were going to stay long… Planning for the short mission, our focus was on the mission, the Starliner portion of the mission, first flights/test flight, and that was our focus. But we trained for everything.”
Wimore went on to add that they’d trained for “maintenance on the station, science on the station, space walks on station, robotics/arm work on the station… We trained for it all. And we were prepared to do anything that we were asked of for a long duration. Again… planning for one thing and preparing for another, and that’s not unique to us. This is what your human space flight program does.”
NASA Astronauts Stranded Discuss Learning They’d Be There 9 Extra Months
Upon learning that they’d be up there for nine long months instead of 8 days, a LOT went through the minds of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. They were asked about what went through their minds upon learning their stay would be extended.
Suni Williams said “My first thought was, ‘We just gotta pivot,’ you know? If this was the destiny, if our spacecraft was going to go home, based on decisions made here, we were going to be up there ’til February, I was like, ‘Okay, let’s make the best of it.’” She continued, saying “we planned, we trained, that we would be there for some part of a time, so we were ready to just jump into it and take on the tasks that were given to us.”
Butch Wilmore followed her answer, saying “It’s not about me. It’s not about my feelings. It’s about what this human space flight program is about. It’s our national goals. And I have to wrap my mind around, what does our nation need out of me right now?”
Did Boeing Screw This Up?
They were then asked about the Boeing Starliner and “did Boeing screw this up?” to which Butch Wilmore let out a laugh. He then responded to the FoxNews host saying “wow, I thought you might ask that question.”
Wilmore then went on say “space flight is hard. It’s really hard. And we’re using new technology to try further and better ourselves. I can tell you the Starliner as far as automation, manual control, and when all this fails, a system that you can still survive to get home… This is the most robust space craft we have in the inventory. There’s nothing that can do everything that Starliner can do.”
While these NASA astronauts were stranded in space for 9 months it certainly sounds like they do NOT blame Boeing for this, nor do they seem traumatized in any way, shape, or form by the experience. They prepared for a longer mission and that’s what they were dealt. Now they’re home.
Content shared from brobible.com.