Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore recall being 'stuck' in space, reveal who's to blame for extended duration
WASHINGTON, DC: In their first interview since returning, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams discussed the mission’s shortcomings and who was responsible.
The duo finally returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, after an unplanned 286-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Butch Wilmore acknowledges shared responsibility
Originally set for an eight-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner, Williams and Wilmore instead traveled back using a SpaceX capsule due to a technical failure.
Speaking on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom, Wilmore admitted that blame must be shared by multiple parties, including himself.
“There are many questions that, as the commander of the Crew Flight Test (CFT), I didn’t ask,” Wilmore said.
“I’ll admit that to the nation,” he added.
He acknowledged that Boeing, NASA, and the team all played a role in the mission’s extended duration.
“There were shortcomings in tests, shortcomings in preparation that we did not foresee,” he noted.
Were Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore really ‘stuck’ in space?
After returning to Earth last week, our #Crew9 @NASA_Astronauts will talk about their mission to the @Space_Station in a news conference at 2:30pm ET (1830 UTC) on Monday, March 31. Get the details—and share your questions with #AskNASA: https://t.co/AK9q3EU7XI pic.twitter.com/Vxld26hUwb
— NASA (@NASA) March 24, 2025
The astronauts addressed reports that they were “stranded” in space, clarifying that while they were unable to return as planned, they were never abandoned.
“In certain respects, we were stuck,” Wilmore said.
“But we weren’t left or forgotten. We were planned, we were trained,” he shared.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's emotional challenges and missing life events
Despite their extensive training, the astronauts admitted that their prolonged stay had difficult moments.
Wilmore spoke about missing his daughter’s graduation and the emotional toll of being away from his family.
.@NASA will provide live coverage of Crew-9’s return to Earth from the @Space_Station, beginning with @SpaceX Dragon hatch closure preparations at 10:45pm ET Monday, March 17.
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) March 16, 2025
Splashdown is slated for approximately 5:57pm Tuesday, March 18: https://t.co/yABLg20tKX pic.twitter.com/alujSplsHm
"Were there down times? Absolutely. Were there times when I shed a tear talking to my wife and daughters? Absolutely,” he said.
“But we look at these as opportunities to grow,” he added, according to The US Sun.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's gratitude for support and future space travel plans
Williams and Wilmore also thanked former President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk for their support in ensuring their safe return.
“I’m just glad they’re involved and take notice,” Williams said, emphasizing the importance of space exploration.
Tune in tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4, at 11:55 a.m. EST for the Crew-9 pre-departure news conference from the @Space_Station!
— NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) March 3, 2025
Hear from @NASA_Astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore about their mission and upcoming return to Earth. Watch live on NASA+:… pic.twitter.com/tkyGZgqFiM
"Our situation, I think I mentioned before, maybe wasn't the perfect situation, but allowed a lot of people, including the President and Elon, to look at what's going on on the International Space Station, take it very seriously and understand that our involvement as a country, as a space-faring nation, is really important throughout the world," she added.
Despite the challenges, both astronauts affirmed they would go back into space.
