Astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, shared that she is trying to recall how to walk as she awaits her return to Earth in spring, media reported.
Speaking to students from Needham High School on January 27, Williams described life aboard the ISS. “I’ve been up here long enough that I’m trying to remember what it’s like to walk. I haven’t walked, sat down, or even laid down. You don’t have to—you can just close your eyes and float,” she said, as quoted by People, citing WBZ-TV.
Williams admitted that she and fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore hadn’t anticipated being stuck in space for so long, calling the extended stay a “bit of a shock.”
“We expected to be here for about a month, honestly. But the longer stay has been unexpected,” she noted.
NASA has scheduled their return for spring 2025, but the spacecraft intended to bring them home won’t be ready for launch before late March.
The Dragon capsule designated for their return reached the ISS in late September 2024. NASA has been working with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to finalize the spacecraft’s readiness.
In December 2024, Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, acknowledged the efforts involved, stating, “We appreciate SpaceX’s hard work to expand the Dragon fleet for our missions and the flexibility of the station crew as we ensure the new capsule is ready for flight.”
