Sunita Williams Dismisses ‘Trapped in Space’ Claims After 9.5-Month ISS Stay
Sunita dismissed rumors that she was "trapped" or feeling lonely. She said, "I didn't feel that way at all. I can understand why other people might have felt that way... but I had complete faith in the process, in the spacecraft's construction, and in the way it was delivered to the ISS."
Former NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who unexpectedly spent nine and a half months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on a Boeing Starliner mission, spoke candidly in an exclusive interview following her return. This is her first conversation since returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule in March 2025. Meanwhile, in this conversation, she highlighted the challenges of her long mission, her desire to go to the Moon, and the emotional aspects related to her Indian heritage.
Sunita and her co-host, Butch Wilmore, who launched on the first crewed flight test of the Boeing Starliner in June 2024, were originally scheduled for just 8-10 days. But due to technical problems with the thruster and a helium leak, Starliner was sent back without the crew, and the two had to remain on the ISS. They returned with SpaceX Crew 9 in March 2025, after spending a total of 286 days (nearly 9 months) in space.
According to NDTV, Sunita dismissed rumors that she felt "trapped" or lonely. She said, "I didn't feel that way at all. I can understand why other people might have felt that way... But I had complete faith in the process, in the way the spacecraft was built and how we got to the ISS."
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She added, "We always had a way to return home. Maybe not the best way, but there was a way. We knew we would be part of the ISS crew."
Now 60, Sunita has retired from NASA's Astronaut Corps, but her enthusiasm for space remains undiminished. Her eyes lit up as she discussed preparations for returning to the Moon under the Artemis program. She said, "I'm very excited about this. It's a huge undertaking... It's a necessary step towards landing on the Moon."
When asked directly if she would like to go to the Moon, she jokingly replied: "I would love to go to the Moon. But my husband would kill me!" Then, turning serious, she said, "It's time to return home... It's time to pass the torch. The next generation has to make its place."
Sunita, of Gujarati origin, is called an "adopted daughter" in India. She recalled carrying an idol of Lord Ganesha, the Bhagavad Gita, and samosas with her on her missions. "I look forward to seeing samosas on the Moon one day," she said with a laugh. Regarding Lord Ganesha's blessings, she said, "Of course, he was with me... Whenever I think of my father, I think of Lord Ganesha."
