'We found some things...': Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore reveal why Boeing Starliner returned to Earth without them

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore remain confident they could have returned to Earth aboard Boeing's Starliner, despite the spacecraft's issues. 

“We could have gotten to the point, I believe, where we could have returned on Starliner, but we just simply ran out of time,” Wilmore stated, acknowledging the complexities that led to their extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS). 

They now plan to return in 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle.

Wilmore and Williams, who were initially slated for a brief eight-day mission, had to adjust to a much longer stay after the Starliner’s technical issues forced it to return empty. 

Wilmore pointed out the advantage of having the Crew Dragon as a backup, “There’s many cases in the past where there have not been other options,” he noted.

NASA made the decision to return Starliner empty in early September to free up the docking port for other spacecraft. While the Starliner encountered helium leaks and propulsion issues, it landed without major problems, prompting Williams to express relief, saying, “I was so happy it got home with no problems.”

Wilmore also emphasized that Boeing is ready to implement changes following the challenges faced by the Starliner program. 

“Obviously, when you have issues like we’ve had, there’s some changes that need to be made. Boeing’s on board with that. We’re all on board with that,” Wilmore said. He acknowledged the risks inherent in testing new spacecraft: “When you do things with spacecraft that have never been done before, just like Starliner, you’re going to find some things. In this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the Starliner.”

Williams, while missing her family, remains enthusiastic about her extended stay in space. “This is my happy place. I love being up here in space. It’s just fun,” she said. Both astronauts continue to engage with NASA and Boeing on discussions about what needs to be improved to get Starliner back on track.