NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who traveled to the International Space Station last June for what was initially a one-week mission, are now preparing for their return home after an extended stay of nine months.
In a Tuesday press conference from the ISS, Wilmore and Williams expressed their anticipation of returning to earth, while also conveying a sense of nostalgia about leaving the place they've called home for so long.
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The mission began last summer when Wilmore and Williams journeyed to the ISS aboard a Boeing Starliner capsule. Unfortunately, the capsule malfunctioned, leading NASA to prioritize the astronauts' safety and keep them on the station. They will now return to Earth in a SpaceX capsule scheduled to launch next week.
Recently, political tensions emerged after comments made by President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk accused the previous Biden administration of abandoning the astronauts. However, both astronauts clarified their perspective on the matter, stating they do not see politics in space.
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"From my standpoint, politics is not playing into this at all," said Wilmore. "From our standpoint, I think that they would agree we came up prepared to stay long even though we planned to stay short. That's what we do in human space flight. That's what your nations' human spaceflight programs are all about — planning for unknown, unexpected contingencies. And we did that."
"This has been Butch and my third flight to the International Space Station," Williams added. "We helped put it together. We've been up here seeing it change throughout all these years. [We] do a lot of science up here. I think just the fact that we're living up here in this very unique place gives you an amazing perspective. Not only, you know, out the window, obviously, but also just on how to solve problems. I don't want to lose that spark of inspiration, in that perspective, when I leave, so I'm gonna have to bottle it somehow."
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The two astronauts also mentioned that the most challenging aspect of their extended stay hasn't been their experiences in space, but rather the impact on their loved ones back on Earth. But when asked what they would miss most about space, they simply replied, "Everything."
The SpaceX capsule that will bring Wilmore and Williams back is also set to carry a new crew to the ISS. The launch is scheduled for as early as next Wednesday, weather permitting. The astronauts' return is occurring a bit sooner than initially expected, as SpaceX has swapped out capsules to expedite their homecoming.
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