Experienced Boeing Starliner Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are stranded in space and won’t be returning home until February. The two have long histories in space, and their families believe the decision to keep them there was ultimately in the best interest of their safety.
What was supposed to be an eight-day trip into space has turned into a months-long journey, and NASA officials announced over the weekend that the troubled spacecraft will return to Earth without them.
Wilmauer and Williams have been aboard the International Space Station since engineers discovered helium leaks and problems with the thrusters shortly after docking with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, prompting NASA and Boeing to investigate.
Wilmore and Williams are no strangers to outer space. According to his official NASA biography, this is Wilmore’s third mission aboard the International Space Station, and he has spent 178 days in space on two previous missions. His last flight ended in March 2015.
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NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were among the flight crew on Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which is recovering from a series of problems. (NASA)
Previously, Wilmohr served in the Navy, including assignments during Operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Southern Watch, which included flights over Iraq.
While Wilmore is in space, his wife, Diana, and their two daughters, Darren and Logan, live in Texas.
“You just have to roll with it and expect the unexpected,” Diana said. WVLT TV.
The good news is that Wilmauer’s family is able to contact him via FaceTime several times most days while he is aboard the International Space Station.
“It’s really cool, it gives us so many views of the Earth, and I especially love seeing the sunset,” Darren told the TV station.
While the Wilmow family realizes that family events and memories are being missed, they have grown accustomed to the uncertainty and stress associated with his profession.
“He just thinks the Lord is in control, and since the Lord is in control, he’s content where he is,” Diana said.
Boeing Starliner Launches Two NASA Astronauts into Space on First Test Flight
NASA’s Expedition 71 crew members, along with Starliner crew flight testers Sunny Williams (front row, left) and Butch Wilmore (front row, right). (NASA)
Like Wilmore, Williams is also on her third mission to the International Space Station, according to her NASA biography, having spent 322 days in space prior to the current mission. She also served in the Navy before becoming an astronaut, serving with a Navy helicopter squadron overseas during military preparations for the Gulf War.
She is married to Michael Williams, a retired U.S. mayor and former Navy pilot, who takes care of his dogs at his home in Houston, the Associated Press reported.
NASA says the couple enjoys “going out with their dogs, exercising, working on houses, working on cars, working on airplanes, hiking and camping.”
Michael said earlier Wall Street Journal This space is his wife’s “happy place.”
Her widowed mother often worries about her job, the Associated Press reported.
“I’m her little girl, so I think she’s always worried,” Williams said before her start.
“I’m so glad they decided not to send her down right away,” said mother Bonnie Pandya. He told TMZ. “There have already been two incidents with the shuttle. And I certainly don’t want that to happen to my daughter… or anyone else! So, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
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| Bachelor’s |
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“Sunita (Soni) L. Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and is a veteran of two space missions, Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33,” NASA says on its website. (NASA)
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Wilmohr and Williams are now set to return with SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon MissionThe spacecraft won’t launch until Sept. 24, and the mission will need to reduce its crew from four to two to make room for the stranded astronauts, who are expected to return in February 2025. Crew-9 will carry additional cargo as well as Dragon spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams, whose Boeing spacesuits are incompatible with the SpaceX spacecraft.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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