NASA astronaut Sunita Williams’ husband Michael told WSJ that he didn’t think that she was disappointed to wind up spending more time at the space station. He said, “That’s her happy place”
Sunita Williams flew Boeing’s Starliner to International Space Station along with another NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore back in June. Initially planned to be a week-long mission, it is now been delayed by over 60 days now owing to technical issues with Starliner
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft had problems with its propulsion system before it reached the space station. Some thrusters also stopped working for a short time, and there were also helium leaks. The crew onboard have been trying to sort out the issue
It was a test flight to the International Space Station (ISS). The goal of this space mission was to demonstrate Boeing's capability to safely transport astronauts to and from the ISS, test the spacecraft's systems and performance in a real-world environment and validate crew operations and procedures for future crewed missions
NASA recently held a press conference where it revealed that the pair might wind up staying in space until February 2025, though no decision has been made yet. Officials at the agency stated that the astronauts aren’t stranded or stuck onboard the space station, and in the event of an emergency, could head back to Earth on Starliner.
The 58-year-old NASA astronaut was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She started flying for US Navy and was selected to join the Naval Test Pilot School. Williams has flown more than 30 aircrafts and has been working with NASA for over 20 years now.
Steve Stich, Manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, has highlighted the ongoing preparations with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for a potential return on Crew Dragon. "We have been working with SpaceX to ensure that they are ready to respond on Crew 9... returning Butch and Suni on Crew 9 if we need that," Stich explained