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Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronaut Suni Williams reunites with dogs being stuck in space. See heartwarming video
What's one of the first things you'd do after returning to Earth after almost 300 days in space? For Massachusetts native Sunita Williams seeing her dogs was near the top of the list. Williams, a native of Needham, MA, and astronaut Butch Wilmore recently returned to Earth after a much- longer-than-planned trip to space. The two were stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly 300 days, despite the original plan calling for it be a short trip. The mission became the sixth longest in NASA's history. Here's what to know about what Williams did when she returned to her Texas home. She was greeted by her two dogs, and she is shown in a post on X playing with them when she arrived. With the video on X, she wrote, "Best homecoming ever!" She said she wants to return to Massachusetts. "Personally, we have a house up in New England, and my husband has been talking about when we're going to get up there and do a lot of fun stuff up there," Williams said at a press conference after returning to Earth. Williams graduated from Needham High School in 1983, according to NASA. Her sister lives in Falmouth, MA and works at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. After high school, Williams went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Physical Science, from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987 and Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995. She was selected as an astronaut by NASA in June 1998. Williams is a veteran of two space missions. She was serving as the pilot of the recent Crew Flight Test mission aboard the Starliner. It is the first crewed flight for that vehicle. The problems with the astronauts' ship – the Boeing Starliner – included helium leaks in the propulsion system and the failure of five thrusters. Four of the thrusters were restored and one was turned off for the rest of the mission, according to NASA. The initial return date was mid-June 2024. The mission was originally scheduled to be eight days but the return was delayed three times. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Astronaut Suni Williams reunites with dogs being stuck in space. Video
Gulf Today
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Astronauts take tough questions at media meet
American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were stuck at the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months and came back last month in Elon Musk's Space X shuttle, expressed their views at a press conference on Monday. They parried questions about their delayed return to earth. They did not blame Boeing for the serious mechanical snag that forced them to stay on the space station for nine months instead of 10 days. Williams answered personal questions about what she did after she returned, Wilmore fielded questions about NASA, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Williams said that the first thing she did after she came out after post-landing incubation for the mandatory medical checks – she embraced her husband and her three pet dogs, and she ate a grilled cheese sandwich as her father was a vegetarian, and she did a three-mile run. She was happy she was able to do the run which was an indirect declaration that her health was good in spite of the prolonged stay in the space station. Wilmore spoke for himself and Williams when he expressed thanks and trust to President Trump and Musk. And he deftly avoided blaming in any way the delay in the return. Speaking to Fox News, Wilmore said, 'I have no reason not to believe in anything they say, because they've earned my trust. And for that I am grateful that our national leaders are actually coming in and taking part in our human space flight programme, which we see is hugely important global importance, and they take an active role.' At one level, the remarks of Wilmore, and by implication that of Williams, are to be treated as normal, correct answers because the astronauts are in the service of the United States government. But Wilmore gave away what he really felt without revealing the real problems. He said, 'Okay, in certain respects, we were stuck. In certain respects, maybe we were stranded.' On the issue whether NASA and Boeing were to blame, Wilmore said, 'Everybody has a piece in this, because it did not come off.' And he also said that as commander of the Crew Flight Test (CFT) of the mission he should have asked some questions, and that he did not ask at the time. 'I didn't ask, so I'm culpable. I'll admit that to the nation.' President Trump is not so keen to blame Boeing as much as he did his predecessor, Joe Biden. It is quite evident that the whole story of the rescue of Wilmore and Williams has not yet come out. Is there an inquiry into Boeing's Starliner snag, and why did it take Elon Musk so long to send the rescue shuttle? Could he have got into the act much earlier than he did? Space X has done shuttle missions either. And of course, he must have been angry that NASA had favoured Boeing over SpaceX. These issues need to be discussed and disclosed because they are of importance both to the United States and other countries in the world. Interestingly, both Williams and Wilmore express their trust in the Boeing Starliner. So, the answers did not really go according to Trump White House narrative. The astronauts, brave human beings with extraordinary technical expertise, had to negotiate a complicated situation. It goes beyond politics. Williams has rightly given the right twist that the world did not revolve around them, but they (Williams and Wilmore) revolved around the world. That was a witty and truthful answer. What will always remain interesting for everyone else in the world is the personal experience of the astronauts through all the stages, from training to the flight, the stay above there and then the return.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'I'd get on in a heartbeat': Starliner astronauts would fly on Boeing spacecraft again despite malfunctions (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore both say they'd ride on Boeing's Starliner again, despite the issues the capsule had on its first crewed flight. Wilmore and Williams launched to the ISS on Starliner's first astronaut mission, known as Crew Flight Test (CFT), last June. Problems with the spacecraft's thrusters prompted NASA and Boeing to extend CFT while engineers analyzed the problem on the ground, ultimately turning Williams and Wilmore's planned eight-day mission aboard the space station into a nine-month saga. In late August, NASA decided to return Starliner to Earth without crew. The agency transferred Williams and Wilmore into the manifest for SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, which arrived at the space station in September carrying fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Now, after much politicizing and speculation, the CFT astronauts are opening up about their mission — and both of them said they would fly on Starliner again, if given the chance. "Yes, because we're going to rectify all the issues that we encountered," Wilmore said during a press conference on Monday (March 31). "We're going to fix it; we're going to make it work. Boeing's completely committed. NASA is completely committed. And with that, I'd get on in a heartbeat." "It is a great spacecraft, and it has a lot of capability that other spacecraft don't have," Williams added. "To see that thing successful and to be part of that program is an honor." Related: Dolphins welcome SpaceX's Crew-9 astronauts home after splashdown (video) Monday's event, which was held at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, came about two weeks after SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom splashed down off the Florida coast with Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov aboard. All three NASA astronauts participated in Monday's press conference (Gorbunov was not in attendance). The trio expressed gratitude for the attention their mission has received. And Wilmore and Williams discussed the issues Starliner had in orbit, as well as who bears responsibility for them. "You can start with me," Wilmore said. "Responsibility with Boeing? Yes. Responsibility with NASA? Yes. All the way up and down the chain." Some people have put a political spin on Williams and Wilmore's space odyssey; for example, President Donald Trump and SpaceX chief Elon Musk have claimed that the Starliner crew were "virtually abandoned" in space by the Biden Administration. But the astronauts say an extended stint on orbit was always part of their mission's contingency plans. "There's a huge group of people who are looking at the whole program and understanding how and what was the best time and way to get us back home," Williams explained. "We knew that, and we were ready to wait until that decision was made." The astronauts added that, while on orbit, they were largely shielded from the discourse about their mission that was occurring back on Earth. "When we're up there operating in space, you don't feel the politics," Hague said. "You don't feel any of that. It's focused strictly on mission." Hague also reiterated that the plan for the return of Williams and Wilmore aboard the Crew-9 Dragon was set before the spacecraft ever left the launch pad. "We were planning … from day one to return toward the end of February," he explained. "That [was] all predicated on the fact that we would have a replacement crew show up, and we'd have adequate handover with that crew before we left." SpaceX's Crew-10 mission for NASA launched with that relief crew on March 14 and arrived at the ISS several hours later. Not only is it typical for station crews to overlap between rotations, it is a NASA requirement for operational continuity. "It's important to maintain the mission of the International Space Station, to continue pushing research and exploration, and that was never in question the entire time," Hague said. Williams and Wilmore plan to continue their involvement with the Starliner program now that they're back on Earth. Their message: Don't count Starliner out just yet. According to Wilmore, the pair are scheduled to meet with Boeing leadership this week to discuss Starliner's issues. "They want to come together with us," he said. Their turbulent mission has also given Williams and Wilmore a unique perspective: They are the only astronauts to have flown in both Starliner and Crew Dragon, the two commercial spacecraft contracted by NASA to ferry people to and from the ISS. Each one offers a nice ride, the two astronauts said during Monday's press conference. 'They're both great for different reasons,' Williams said. "Dragon is a very comfortable spacecraft that tells you what it's doing, which is very nice,' she added, before giving a glowing explanation of several of Starliner's unique, manually controllable features. Related: 'We just ran out of time': Boeing Starliner astronauts on why their spaceship returned to Earth without them Related stories: — SpaceX launches relief crew for NASA's beleaguered Starliner astronauts on ISS (video) — NASA moves up return date for Boeing Starliner astronauts after swapping SpaceX Dragon spacecraft — Never-'stuck' Starliner astronauts return to Earth at last with Crew-9 duo in SpaceX Dragon splashdown Wilmore also cited that characteristic of Starliner — the ability of astronauts to take control of the capsule at any moment, as opposed to Crew Dragon's more straightforward, idiot-proof autonomous flight. "I jokingly said a couple of times before we launched that I could literally do a barrel roll over the top of the space station [with Starliner]," Wilmore said. "I would never do that, but you can in the spacecraft. It is very, very capable." Of Dragon, the pair also came to quick agreement: 'More Velcro.' A sleeker design with fewer buttons apparently leaves plenty of surface area inside Crew Dragon for strips of Velcro astronauts can use to secure things like pens or notebooks from floating away. Wilmore said that he's optimistic about Starliner's future, given the spacecraft's capability and the commitment to the vehicle that both NASA and Boeing have shown. "If we can figure out a couple of very important primary issues with the thrusters and the helium system, Starliner is ready to go,' Wilmore said. But, he acknowledged, "that is not going to happen overnight."
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Boeing Starliner commander shares blame for spacecraft failure, but would fly on it again
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore put some of the blame on himself when asked who was responsible for Boeing Starliner's failure on last year's Crew Flight Test. He and crewmate Suni Williams flew up to the International Space Station last June on what was supposed to be as short as an eight-day stay. The spacecraft, though, suffered from failed thrusters and helium leaks that ultimately led to NASA's decision to send the spacecraft home without crew. The pair then remained on the station more than nine months flying home instead on the SpaceX Crew-9 mission earlier this month. 'There were questions that I as the commander of the spacecraft, that I should have asked, and I did not at the time,' Wilmore said during a Monday press conference. 'I didn't know I needed to. And maybe you could call that hindsight, but I'll start and point the finger, and I'll blame me.' He said the answers to some of those questions could have delayed the launch and avoided what turned into a national spotlight, but he said Boeing and NASA also share the blame. 'We all are responsible. We all own this,' he said. 'You cannot do this business without trust. You have to have ultimate trust, and for someone to step forward and these different organizations say, 'Hey, I'm culpable for part of that issue.' — that goes a long way to maintaining trust.' Wilmore, though, said he would fly on Starliner again. 'Yes, because we're going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We're going to fix it, we're going to make it work,' he said. 'Boeing's completely committed. NASA is completely committed. And with that, I'd get on in a heartbeat. Williams concurred. 'The spacecraft is really capable. There were a couple things that need to be fixed, like Butch mentioned, and folks are actively working on that, but it is a great spacecraft, and it has a lot of capability that other spacecraft don't have,' she said. Wilmore said he and Williams were scheduled to meet with Boeing leadership this week to discuss how to move forward. 'There's a great deal of work being done, but we have insight that not many other people have,' Wilmore said. 'We worked this program for six years before we launched. We talked to everyone up and down to the chain of command, and we have insight that other people don't have, and we want to share that as much as possible.' Wilmore still gushes about Starliner's ability compared to the Soyuz and SpaceX Crew Dragon. 'Starliner has the most capability when you think about its ability to maneuver automatically,' he said. 'I mean, I jokingly said a couple of times before we launched that I could literally do a barrel roll over the top of the space station. I would never do that, but you can.' He expects Boeing and NASA to enable the fixes, do integrated tests and get the spacecraft qualified. 'It is very, very capable. If we can figure out a couple of very important primary issues with the thrusters and the helium system, Starliner is ready to go,' he said. 'That is not going to be happen overnight, but it has to take place.' The duo were joined by NASA astronaut and Crew-9 commander Nick Hague, with whom they flew home earlier this month. Hague weighed in on the challenge astronauts face when politics overshadow the mission, as it did during claims by President Trump and Elon Musk that the Starliner astronauts were left behind on the station for political reasons by the Biden Administration. 'Politics … they don't make it up there when we're trying to make operational decisions,' Hague said. 'So as the commander of Crew-9, responsible for the safety of this crew and getting them back safely, I can tell you that the entire time up there, I launched with that singular objective.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NASA Astronauts Speak Out In First Interview After 9 Months In Space
In their first interview since returning to Earth after an unexpected nine-month stay in space, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams say they are not looking to point fingers, don't consider their mission a failure and that they'd go back again if given the chance. 'Space flight is hard. It's really hard,' Williams said when asked about Boeing's Starliner malfunctioning and being unable to safely return them from the International Space Station as originally planned in June. 'I wouldn't characterize as they failed us. I would characterize it as, there was a huge team working together diligently to try to weigh all the risks of putting people in a spacecraft for the very first time with brand-new systems,' she said. Wilmore also disputed whether they were truly 'stranded,' as the media and President Donald Trump said, saying: 'In the big scheme of things, we weren't stuck.' He added, 'OK, in certain respects, we were stuck. In certain respects, maybe we were stranded. But based on how they were couching this, that we were left, forgotten, and all that, we were nowhere near any of that, at all.' He also said that he believes everyone shares a piece of the blame for what went wrong, including himself as the commander of Boeing's Crew Flight Test mission. 'Is Boeing to blame and culpable? Sure. Is NASA to blame? Are they culpable? Sure. Everybody has a piece in it,' he said. 'There are some things I should have asked that I didn't know I needed to ask.' Both said they were never upset or angry about their time away, with Wilmore calling their unexpected time from family 'part of the job' and also a 'common occurrence' among people who have a position in the military, police, or other forms of public service. Their families had it harder than they did, though, Williams said. They 'haven't planned and made this their life passion to fly in space. This is not what they love and signed up for. They have to watch us launch into space and be there and not be there for activities that we may have planned on,' she said. 'I kept telling my family, I'm not back until I'm back,' Wilmore said. 'This is the nature of the business we do. We've had changes in the past. We may have changes now. But it was certainly a great feeling when you have a date and you're marching towards a date.' The pair was also asked what they'd say to Trump and Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX helped bring them back after Trump said the Biden administration had 'virtually abandoned' them. 'I respect you. I trust you. You've given me no reason not to trust you, either one of them,' Wilmore said. 'I can't say what they say, I haven't lived that. But I have no reason not to believe anything they say because they've earned my trust, and for that I'm grateful.' Both also stated they would go back to space if given the opportunity, though they would prioritize others who haven't yet had the experience first. NASA Astronauts Splash Down Off Florida Coast After 9 Months In Space NASA's Stuck Astronauts Are Finally Returning To Earth After 9 Months In Space SpaceX Launches New Crew To Replace NASA's Stuck Astronauts SpaceX Flight To Replace NASA's Stuck Astronauts Delayed Trump Suggests Astronauts Stranded In Space Might Learn To Love Each Other Trump Tells Elon Musk To 'Go Get' NASA Astronauts On ISS Since June
