Astronaut stuck in space for the last 9 months reveals what she misses the most about Earth

Recently, on January 27 this year, Sunita Williams spoke with students of Needham High School from the ISS.

PUBLISHED 5 DAYS AGO

Sunita Williams at The Newseum on March 22, 2012, in Washington, DC. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Leigh Vogel)

Venturing out into space to explore the mysteries of the universe sounds like a dream, but Earth is home and one starts missing it sooner or later. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were supposed to spend just eight days on the International Space Station after landing there on June 5, 2024. However, their ride home, the Boeing Starliner, ran into mechanical problems and had to come back without them, leaving the two stranded up there for more than eight months now. Despite the unexpected delay, they are assuring everyone that there’s nothing to worry about. On January 27, Williams spoke with students at Needham High School from the ISS, sharing what life in space is like and the little things about Earth that she never thought she’d miss.

Sunita Williams visiting her homeland. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Pallava Bagla)

A student asked her to describe the sensation of microgravity in space, and she compared it to the feeling of swimming or flying. As reported by CBS News, Williams said, "I've been up here long enough right now I've been trying to remember what it's like to walk. I haven't walked. I haven't sat down. I haven't laid down. You don't have to. You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here." She and fellow astronaut Wilmore knew that their trip might go beyond eight days since it was the aircraft’s first flight, but they never imagined it would be stretched for such a long time.

Williams said that she’s enjoying her time in space, and she loves to share the experience with everyone on Earth, but she also revealed that it has changed how she connects with her family. The astronaut said, "My mother's getting a little bit older, so in that regard, I just try to stay in touch with them and those guys as much as possible. I think I talk to my mom practically every day. Just check in with her and call her and see how she's doing. So it's just a little bit different relationship than we had potentially planned on for the last couple of months. But we're managing." She revealed she doesn’t feel alone in space since she stays busy and can still communicate with people back home.

In August last year, NASA revealed that it had turned to SpaceX to bring the two astronauts back aboard the Crew-9 capsule. Originally, their return was scheduled for February this year, but by December 2024, NASA announced another delay as the spacecraft meant to carry them back to Earth wouldn’t be ready for liftoff until late March 2025. Steve Stich, one of the managers of NASA, said, “Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail,” as reported by Indy 100.

The astronauts participated in the 2024 U.S. elections and celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas in space. NASA also announced that two cargo shipments that included food, oxygen, water, and new clothing were recently sent to the ISS crew. However, they aren't the only ones who have stayed in space for extended periods. The record for the longest stay in space is held by astronaut Valeri Polyakov, a former Russian cosmonaut who spent 437 days in space in the mid-1990s. As reported by Sky News, NASA's Frank Rubio broke the previous American record in 2023 when he returned from orbit after 371 days.