Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams, currently stranded in space until next year, have shared their sentiments regarding their prolonged mission. Despite being stuck in space for more than eight months due to an unexpected extension of their initial eight-day mission, the astronauts have expressed no regrets about their journey.
Following a setback with the Boeing Starliner capsule that was supposed to return them to Earth, NASA deemed it unsafe for the astronauts to return on the same spacecraft. Consequently, Wilmore and Williams are now scheduled to return home in February aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, accompanied by two other astronauts.
While acknowledging the challenges of missing significant events back on Earth, such as holidays and family milestones, the astronauts remain optimistic and appreciative of the support they have received. They have even taken steps to ensure they can participate in the upcoming November election by requesting absentee ballots to vote from space.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, SpaceX achieved a groundbreaking milestone in the commercial space industry. Billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis completed the first-ever private spacewalk during the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, marking a significant advancement in space exploration.
Both Boeing and SpaceX have been contracted by NASA to provide orbital taxi services, with SpaceX's recent accomplishment further solidifying the company's position in the space industry.
