Sunita Williams to Vote from 400 km Above Earth: Holds ISS Press Conference with Wilmore

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her partner Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded in space for 100 days, held a press conference from the International Space Station (ISS). The conference, which started at 12:15 PM IST on Friday, saw Sunita and Butch answering several questions. Both stated that they would be voting in the U.S. elections from space.

In response to a question about voting, Butch mentioned that the election process for him has already begun. He emphasized that voting is an important duty. NASA is working on how they can cast their votes from space. Sunita Williams expressed excitement about voting from space.

Located 400 kilometers away from the Space Center, Sunita and Butch mentioned that they have requested NASA to arrange for postal ballots for their participation in the U.S. elections.

Sunita and Butch went to the space station on June 5 and arrived there on June 6. They were scheduled to return on June 13, but due to technical issues with NASA’s Boeing Starliner spacecraft, their return was delayed. Now, they are expected to return only in 2025.

What Sunita and Wilmore Said:

Sunita said it was disheartening to see the Starliner leave the ISS without them. However, she mentioned that they have been trained to live in such conditions. Despite the challenges, she enjoys being in space, describing it as one of her favorite places.

Sunita remarked that ISS is a place of happiness for her. While they can stay for 8, 9, or even 10 months if necessary, she misses her family and pet dogs.

She expressed excitement about piloting two different spacecraft in a single mission. “We are testers, this is our job,” she said.

Butch mentioned that he wakes up at 4:30 AM while Sunita gets up at 6:30 AM. To combat the loss of bone density caused by living in space, they both work out for two hours each day.

Butch said that as the first test pilot of the Starliner, he hadn’t anticipated being in space for such a long period, but he was aware that there could be problems, potentially delaying their return. “This is part of the job,” he added.

Starliner Spacecraft Returns to Earth:

The spacecraft that took Sunita and Butch to the space station safely returned to Earth on September 7 after three months. It landed with the help of three large parachutes and airbags.

According to NASA, the spacecraft was detached from the ISS at 3:30 AM IST on Saturday. It took approximately six hours to return to Earth. It landed at the White Sands Space Harbor in the desert of New Mexico, USA.

Boeing had built this spacecraft for NASA. Despite some technical problems and helium gas leakage, there were many concerns about its safe return, but it successfully made it back to Earth.