‘I miss her, she is my best friend’: Sunita Williams’ mother talks about NASA astronaut being stuck in space

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams along with Butch Wilmore have to stay in space for another 6 months. The space mission that started off as a 8-day mission has been extended to 8 months because of the faulty Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Williams’ mother Bonnie Pandya spoke to TMZ about the whole situation and explained that the news doesn’t bother her too much as long as she knows that her daughter is safe.

She said, “You know, it took three attempts to get her into space because the launch kept getting delayed. We went through three rounds of preparations before it finally happened. But it’s okay. I’m a mother of an astronaut—she’s been one for 20 years, so I understand how these things go. It doesn’t bother me too much, though I always want to make sure she’s safe before she comes back down.”

 She explained that NASA did not rush to bring her back but made sure that safety comes first. She said, “Honestly, I’m relieved they didn’t rush her return. There have already been two shuttle accidents, and I wouldn’t want that to happen to my daughter—or anyone else, for that matter. So, I believe it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

When asked if she was in touch with Williams and how is she doing up there and how is she coping up with the extended stay, she stated, “She’s doing fine. She’s a professional astronaut, and this is her job. They’re aware that when they go up, things can change—they might have to stay longer or come back earlier. One of her friends, Frank Rubio, went up for six months and ended up staying over a year. They understand that; it’s no big deal for them. This is what they do. She loves going to space and finds it incredibly rewarding. She talks about how amazing it is to look down at the planet and see everything from up there. So, she’s not sad at all. She knows this might be her last time in space, and she’s happy to be there.”

Pandya said that she misses her as she is her best friend, she said, “As for me, I miss her—she’s my best friend, and we had plans to do things together. But I understand.”