Astronauts confident in Boeing’s Starliner despite setbacks, eager to fly again

WASHINGTON: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, held their first news conference since returning to Earth, addressing concerns about Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Despite experiencing problems that left them stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), both astronauts expressed a willingness to fly on the Starliner again.

When asked if he would fly again aboard the Starliner, Wilmore said, “Yes, because we’re going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We’re going to fix them, we’re going to make it work. Boeing is completely committed. NASA is completely committed, and with that, I’d get on in a heartbeat”.

“I never felt stuck.” — Sunita “Suni” Williams

On whether they were “stuck” on the International Space Station, Barry “Butch” Wilmore tells ABC News’ Gio Benitez he understands “why that would be the perception.”https://t.co/K6uimmqUWw pic.twitter.com/0LEAgFE0tb

— ABC News (@ABC) March 31, 2025

Williams shared similar sentiments, praising the spacecraft’s capabilities and acknowledging that minor issues need to be addressed. “I would agree”, Williams said. “The spacecraft is really capable. There were a couple of things that need to be fixed … and folks are actively working on that, but it is a great spacecraft, and it has a lot of capability that other spacecraft don’t have. To see that thing successful and to be part of that program is an honor”, she added.

While talking about their Crew-9 mission, NASA astronaut Nick Hague said the mission showcased the agency’s commitment to ensuring the safe return of astronauts while continuing to advance scientific research. “Crew-9 mission is unique, like every space flight mission tends to be… it highlights, to me, safety and the importance of the mission and the balance of those two”, he said.

NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams told reporters it was “an honor that actually people were paying attention” as she and Barry “Butch” Wilmore ended up staying aboard the International Space Station for much longer than expected. https://t.co/R81veyJNNj pic.twitter.com/gR1aFJEqBI

— ABC News (@ABC) March 31, 2025

NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, reentered Earth’s atmosphere and breathed air for the first time in over nine months on March 18, following the successful splashdown of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule at 5.57 pm EDT.

After their return, Wilmore and Williams began physical therapy at the Johnson Space Center to help their bodies readjust to Earth’s gravity. The therapy is a standard procedure for astronauts returning from space.

Both astronauts appeared to be in high spirits and good physical condition during a press conference on Monday. Williams even revealed that she had gone for a 3-mile run on Sunday.

Following their return, the White House highlighted President Trump’s role in prioritising their rescue. It stated that the astronauts had safely landed in the Gulf of Mexico and credited Musk for their return.

In a post on X, the White House wrote, “PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to Elon Musk, SpaceX, and NASA!”

Trump had previously accused former US President Joe Biden of abandoning the astronauts in space. On March 7, Trump stated that he had authorized Musk to bring back American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been at the ISS since June last year. (ANI)