‘Crew becomes your family’: Sunita Williams opens up on 286-day space mission

NASA astronaut (Ret.) Sunita Williams has opened up about the emotional realities of long-duration space missions, saying her 286-day stay in orbit did not leave her feeling lonely despite being far from family and Earth. 

Speaking on a podcast with entrepreneur Raj Shamani, Williams said astronauts are rarely alone in space and often develop deep bonds with their crewmates. “I don’t know about lonely. There was always people around. The family wasn’t, but the people that you end up living in space with are like family,” she said. 

Williams explained that astronauts make a conscious effort to stay connected with loved ones back home, especially during major holidays. She recalled celebrating occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas aboard the International Space Station, when astronauts are given time off to speak with family members through video calls. 

Familiar traditions, she said, help maintain a sense of connection to Earth. Astronauts even watch events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on a screen in orbit, recreating small but meaningful rituals from home. 

Video calls often turn into virtual tours of the space station, giving families a glimpse into daily life in microgravity. “It’s fun to see your crewmates at the dinner table and have them wave to your family,” Williams said. 

According to Williams, advances in video conferencing technology — especially after its widespread adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic — have made staying in touch easier for astronauts. She said she reconnected with several relatives during her mission, including family members in India and across the United States, which helped reduce the emotional distance from home. 

Williams acknowledged that moments of longing do arise, particularly after conversations with loved ones. “When you hang up, you wish you were down there doing those things,” she said. However, she added that the experience of being in space often puts those feelings into perspective. “You go to the window and see how beautiful it is,” she said. 

Reflecting on her time in orbit, Williams said she does not recall experiencing particularly lonely nights. “Not really,” she said, adding with a smile that she mostly missed her dogs while in space. 

She also emphasised the importance of mindset during long-duration missions. Comparing spaceflight to earlier deployments at sea, Williams said astronauts begin each day without knowing what they might witness outside the window — whether it is a sunrise, lightning storms, or the Earth illuminated at night. 

That sense of wonder, she suggested, helps astronauts stay grounded even while orbiting hundreds of kilometres above the planet.