Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO
Topics: NASA, Space, International Space Station, News
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: NASA, Space, International Space Station, News
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore who were 'stranded' in space for nine months have shared how they reacted when they first heard the news that their trip had been extended.
Williams and Wilmore headed for space in June 2024 for what was supposed to be a straight-forward, eight-day trip to the International Space Station.
But little did they know that they would end up ringing in the New Year at the ISS and wouldn't make it back to Earth until March 18 2025.
Their situation garnered worldwide attention, especially as their rescue missions were repeatedly postponed.
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Despite this, Williams and Wilmore remained in good spirits during their nine-month stay and have now been reunited with their loved ones.
Media outlets have been scrambling to get time with the NASA employees ever since their return, with Fox News recently sitting down with the pair.
In the interview, Wilmore and Williams were asked how they felt when they were got the news that they weren't going home as initially planned.
Williams shared: "My first thought was, we just got to pivot, right?
"I was like, ‘OK, let’s make the best of it.’ We planned, we trained that we’d 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."
Meanwhile, Wilmore said he suppressed how he was truly feeling about the unfortunate situation in a bid to focus on 'national goals'.
"It’s not about me, it’s not about my feelings," he recalled thinking after finding out that he wasn't going home.
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"It’s about what this human space flight program is about. It’s our national goals.
"I have to wrap myself, my mind, around ‘what does the nation need out of me right now?’
"Did I think about not being there for my daughter’s high school year, of course… certainly, deal with the personal side of it, but I can’t let that interfere with what I’m called to do."
While they're now safely back on Earth, the hard part isn't quite over for Williams and Wilmore as it'll take time for their bodies to physically recover from the lengthy ISS stay.
One thing that will have been negatively impacted is their muscles as being in space decreases an astronaut's muscle mass because of the lack of gravity.
Wilmore and Williams' brains, eyes, skin, and bones will also have been affected.