CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have expressed their confidence in Boeing’s Starliner capsule despite the spacecraft’s troubled test flight that extended their mission to over nine months. Speaking at their first press conference since returning to Earth, the duo emphasized their willingness to fly on Starliner again and even took partial responsibility for the mission’s challenges.
Wilmore, in particular, acknowledged that he could have done more to prevent the issues that arose. “I’ll start and point the finger and I’ll blame me. I could have asked some questions and the answers to those questions could have turned the tide,” he told reporters. “All the way up and down the chain. We all are responsible. We all own this.”
The pair had initially embarked on Boeing’s first astronaut flight on June 5, expecting to spend only a few days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). However, their mission stretched to an unexpected 286 days due to technical malfunctions, including thruster failures and helium leaks. NASA deemed Starliner too unsafe to bring the astronauts home, ultimately transferring them to a SpaceX capsule for their return.
Despite the setbacks, both astronauts maintained their faith in Starliner’s potential. “Because we’re going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We’re going to fix them. We’re going to make it work,” Wilmore stated, adding that he would fly on Starliner again “in a heartbeat.” Williams also affirmed her belief in the spacecraft, stating, “We’re all in. Starliner has a lot of capability, and I want to see it succeed.”
The two astronauts are set to meet with Boeing leadership to discuss the mission’s challenges. Wilmore clarified that the meeting is “not for pointing fingers,” but rather “to make the path clearer going forward.”
NASA engineers continue to investigate the thruster malfunctions, with further testing planned throughout the summer. If the issues are resolved, Wilmore believes “Starliner is ready to go.” However, NASA may mandate another test flight carrying only cargo before approving another manned mission, which could take place by the end of the year.
The space agency remains committed to having two commercial providers for ISS transportation, namely SpaceX and Boeing. However, with the ISS scheduled for decommissioning in five years, time is running out for Starliner to establish itself as a reliable alternative.
For now, Wilmore and Williams are simply enjoying their return to Earth. Williams described the joy of reuniting with her two Labrador retrievers, while Wilmore joked about his first task at home: “My wife wants to replace all the shrubs in our yard before summer, so I’ve got to get my body ready to dig holes.”
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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