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NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Stranded on ISS Until 2025, Will Vote from Space

Sep 13, 2024, 10:04 PM

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore, currently stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, spoke publicly for the first time in two months during a press conference at 2:15 PM EDT. The astronauts discussed their extended mission, which will now last until February 2025, after the Starliner capsule returned to Earth without them on September 6, 2024. Despite the unexpected delay, both astronauts expressed no regrets and emphasized their preparedness for such scenarios, noting that 90% of their training is for the unexpected. They also highlighted their ability to vote in the upcoming U.S. presidential election from space, with Wilmore already having sent his request for a ballot. The press conference was held at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The astronauts described the situation as "testing times" but remained positive about their continued work on the ISS and mentioned unresolved safety concerns with the Starliner.