After months of being stranded on the International Space Station, astronaut Sunita Williams is eager to reunite with her family, especially her dogs, Gunner and Rotor.
During a virtual media interaction on Mar. 4, Williams shared that the uncertainty about her return would have been even more difficult for her pets, who don't understand the concept of time.
"I have two Labrador Retrievers right now...who have been having boy time with my husband. I think they'll be very happy for mom to come home, so I'm excited to see my labs when I get back," the Indian-origin astronaut said.
Williams (59) and Butch Wilmore (62) flew to space in June last year for an eight-day mission but have been unable to return since then. Their stay on the ISS has been extended by over eight months due to a technical issue with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. They are scheduled to return later in March aboard Elon Musk's SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Reflecting on her time at the ISS, Williams said that the uncertainty around their return must have been more challenging for her friends and family than for the astronauts themselves.
"It's been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more than for us. You know we're here. We have a mission. We're just doing what we do every day and you know every day is interesting because we're up in space and it's a lot of fun…," she said, adding that the hardest part is having the "folks on the ground have to not know exactly when we're coming back."
LIVE: Our #Crew9 @NASA_Astronauts are talking about their scientific mission aboard the @Space_Station before they return to Earth later this month. Watch with us and use #AskNASA to share your questions. https://t.co/yXzCMNNjIB
March 4, 2025She acknowledged that it was difficult having this conversation with them frequently.
When asked about what she was going to miss the most about her stay, she said, "probably everything." Reflecting on her three trips to the ISS, Williams said that it has always been a unique place which gives one an "amazing" perspective.
"Not only out the window, obviously, but also just on how to solve problems. I don't wanna lose that spark of inspiration in that perspective when I leave, so I'm gonna have to bottle it up somehow," she added.
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