Astronaut who was stranded in space for nine months reveals the terrifying question they were left asking
Topics: Space, NASA, International Space Station, News
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: NASA
Topics: Space, NASA, International Space Station, News
Butch Wilmore has shared a morbid thought that crossed his mind while he was stranded in space.
NASA astronauts Wilmore and Suni Williams set off for space in June 2024 on what was supposed to be an eight-day mission, but disaster struck for the pair once they'd made it to the International Space Station (ISS).
Once at the ISS, they discovered technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft as it was unable to successfully dock. It was also supposed to be taking them home and the newly-discovered problems meant it wasn't unsafe for them to travel in.
It wasn't until March 2025 that they came back to Earth.
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While the pair seemed to remain optimistic during their unexpectedly long stay at the ISS, Wilmore admitted that there was one questioned that loomed over them — if they would actually ever make it home.
Speaking to the BBC, the astronaut said: "Docking was imperative. If we weren't able to dock, would we be able to make it back? We didn't know."
Wilmore added that the thought of them never seeing Earth again 'definitely went through our minds'.
With the dire thought was there, neither Wilmore and Williams vocalized their fears to one another and focused on fixing the problem instead.
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"You sort of read each other's mind and know where we're going with all the failures," Williams shared. "These were not expected. At the same time, you know, we're like, what do we have? What can we do?"
While the pair could have easily become jaded about the numerous delays regarding their rescue, Williams and Wilmore say they knew that 'nobody was going to just let us down'.
"We knew everybody had our back and was looking out for us," Williams added.
Being in space for prolonged periods of time can have a devasting impact on the human body, but Wilmore insists that he actually came home 'stronger than I've ever been in my life' as he performed squats and deadlifts daily while up in space.
Despite facing issues with Boeing's aircraft, both Wilmore and Williams said they'd fly in the Starliner again (once the faults are fixed, of course).
"It's a very capable spacecraft," Williams said. "It has unique capabilities compared to other spacecraft that are out there that are really great for future astronauts to fly."
Meanwhile, Wilmore said that he's 'very positively hopeful' to fly in Starliner again.