Don’t Make Those Plans Without Me, Coming Back Before Too Long: Sunita Williams On Historic Homecoming

Florida: NASA astronaut Sunita Williams , who is finally enroute to earth along with her other space colleagues after getting stuck at the International Space Station for 9 months, said that it has been a rollercoaster journey for their families who had no clue when they would return from the space and all this uncertainty was the most difficult part for them.

But now we are coming back before long, so don’t make those plans without me. We will be back before too long, the stranded Astronaut said in an emotional message to their loved ones as they were returning onboard SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. 

“It has been a roller coaster for them, probably more than it has been for us. The hardest thing has been not knowing when we would come back. All of that uncertainty has been the most difficult part,” NASA’s stranded astronaut Sunita Williams shared on her staying away from the family," Sunita Williams said.

"Just living here gives us a unique perspective not just outside the window, obviously but on how to solve the problems. I don’t want to lose that spark of inspiration and perspective when I leave so I am going to have to bottle it up, somehow. We are coming back before long, so don’t make those plans without me. We will be back before too long," she added.

Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore lifted off to Space on June 5, 2024 

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who flew to space as part of the certification flight of Boeing Starliner and supposed to be there for just 8 days, were stuck at the International Space Station for several months after their Boeing spaceship developed technical issues including some leakage in Helium line and thrusters failure.

Though the Boeing Starliner performed thousands of tests and simulations but failed to convince NASA that the spacecraft could bring back the stranded astronauts without any danger to their lives. The space agency then planned another mission to bring back the stranded astronauts.

NASA planned the rescue mission with Elon Musk's SpaceX. The space agency decided to lift off Dragon spacecraft to bring back the stranded astronauts from the International Space Station.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who went for just an 8-day mission, turned into 9 long months after a series of problems occurred onboard Boeing Starliner capsule.

Even after thousands of simulations, Boeing failed to convince NASA that it could have brought back the astronauts safely to Earth. The Boeing Starliner eventually had to return back empty, pushing the homecoming of the Crew-9 to February 2025.

The SpaceX Dragon mission was initially planned for February, however, some technical issues delayed the lift off added another month delay.

The Dragon capsule finally arrived to the ISS on Sunday following which things quickly advanced and the spacecraft carrying the Crew-9 astronauts began its journey back to Earth on Monday-Tuesday.