Throughout the world, known around the world as stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams reached a six -month mark in space on December 5, two more to go.
The couple went to orbit on June 5, the first who went on the new capsule of the Boeing crew from Starliner on what was supposed to be a weekly test flight. They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, only after overcoming the cascade of malfunctions and leaks of helium. NASA considered the capsule too risky for the reverse flight, so there will be February before their long and difficult mission to end.
While NASA managers abound by stuck or stuck, two retired Navy captains dismissed their difficult situation. They insist that they are in order and accept their fate. Mr. Wilmore considers this as a kind of bypass: “We are just on the other way.”
“I like everything to be here,” said Williams on December 4 from the elementary school, named after her in Nidham, Massachusetts, her hometown. “Just living in space is a lot of fun.”
Both astronauts lived there earlier, so they quickly became full -fledged crew members, helping with scientific experiments and at home, as a correction of a broken toilet, a vacuum cleaner of air ventilation holes and watering plants. Miss Williams took the post of station commander in September.
“Thinking really is of great importance,” Mr. Wilmore said in response to the question of the first classes of Nashville in October. He is from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. “I do not look at these situations in life like down.”
In September, Boeing flew out along her capsule Starliner Home, and NASA moved by Mr. Wilmore and Mr. Williams to the SpaceX flight, not going out to the returning until the end of February. The other two astronauts were stolen to make room and save a six -month schedule for the rotation of the crew.
Like the other crews of the station, Mr. Wilmore and M -Wilmsa studied for space walks, and any unexpected situations that may arise.
“When the crews are growing, they know that they can be up to a year there,” said NASA administrator Jim Fri.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio discovered that from labor the Russian space agency had to rush to replace the capsule for him and two astronauts in 2023, which led to the fact that their six -month mission is up to a year.
This week, the Boeing said that the contribution of Mr. Wilmore and Mr. Williams was “invaluable” in the ongoing investigation of what went wrong. The company stated in its statement that it was preparing for the next Starliner flight, but refused to comment when it could start again.
NASA also has a high praise in a couple.
“Whether it was luck or whether it was a selection, they were great people for this mission,” said D. D. D. D. Regiment during an interview with the Associated Press.
In addition to everything else, the same Williams had to deal with the “rumors”, as she calls them, about a serious weight loss. She insists that her weight is the same as on the day of launch, which is confirmed by the regiment.
During the student chat, on December 4, the Williams said that she did not have a big appetite when she first arrived in space. But now she is “super hungry” and eat three meals a day plus snacks, while registering the necessary two hours of daily exercises.
Miss Williams, a runner at a distance, uses a treadmill of a space station to support racing in his native state. In August, she participated in the 7-mile race of Falm-Road on the 7-mile road of the Cape Code. She also managed the 2007 Boston Marathon.
She has a new England Patriots shirt with her for gaming days, as well as the Red Sox Spring Training shirt.
“I hope I will be at home before this happens – but you never know,” she said in November. Husband Michael Williams, a Pension Federal Marshal and a former fleet aviator, takes care of his dogs at home in Houston.
As for Mr. Wilmore, he misses the senior course of his youngest daughter in high school and theatrical productions of his older daughter in college.
“We cannot deny that being unexpectedly divided, especially during the holidays, when the whole family gathers together, brings increased desires to share time and events together,” said his wife, Dinna Wilmore, in the text this week. Her husband “has this worse than us”, as he is limited by the space station and can only be connected through the video for short periods.
“We, of course, are looking forward to February !!” She wrote.
This story was reported by the Associated Press.
