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Sunita Williams on why she does not feel abandoned even after 10 months in space
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams completes spacewalk while awaiting return to Earth, with the mission extended to nearly ten months.
Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months—far longer than their originally planned weeklong mission.
“I don't think I'm abandoned. I don't think we're stuck up here,” Williams told CBS News. “We've got food. We've got clothes. We have a ride home in case anything really bad does happen to the International Space Station.”
“We're in a posture ... where we have the International Space Station fully manned and doing what the taxpayers wanted, to do world-class science. And so I feel honoured, like I said, to be here and a part of the team.”
Williams and Wilmore to return after overcoming extended stays and technical difficulties
The two astronauts initially launched aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule last June on a test flight that was supposed to last only a week. However, technical issues with the spacecraft extended their stay indefinitely, forcing NASA to send the Starliner back to Earth without them.
Williams and Wilmore's return was further delayed when SpaceX postponed the launch of their replacements, ultimately leaving Williams and Wilmore on board the ISS until late March or early April—nearly ten months after they first departed.
Even with their prolonged stay, Williams recently performed her first spacewalk since arriving at the ISS more than seven months ago, totalling eight spacewalks, carrying out necessary repairs alongside fellow astronaut Nick Hague. As the station soared 260 miles (420 kilometres) above Turkmenistan, Williams got an up-close view of the SpaceX capsule that would soon bring her and Wilmore home.
During her spacewalk, Williams worked on an overdue maintenance task while floating just a few feet away from the parked capsule. She successfully completed the job without damaging the spacecraft. She is set to conduct another spacewalk with Wilmore in the coming weeks.
NASA temporarily paused US spacewalks last summer after water leaked into the airlock from an astronaut’s suit cooling loop. The agency has since resolved the issue, allowing extravehicular activities to resume.
