‘Can’t Blame Anybody’: Sunita Williams Says Spacecraft Needs Minor Fixes After Delayed Return

Last Updated:April 01, 2025, 00:46 IST

Originally intended as an eight-day mission, Williams and her fellow Crew-9 astronaut Butch Wilmore's stay aboard the ISS was unexpectedly delayed to eight months

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams (File image)

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams opened up on Monday about her extended stay at the Space Station (ISS), saying that there is nobody to blame and noting that a few issues with the spacecraft need to be resolved.

Originally intended as an eight-day mission, Williams and her fellow Crew-9 astronaut Butch Wilmore’s stay was unexpectedly delayed to eight months due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they launched on June 5, 2024.

“The spacecraft is really capable of space programmes. It’s a great spacecraft and has lot of capabilities that others don’t have. There are a couple of things that need to be fixed and folks are actively working on that," she said.

Adding to the statement, Wilmore said, “We all are responsible. We need to look forward, cannot sit and blame anybody. We are going to rectify the issues."

Williams, who was joined by fellow Crew-9 astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore during the post-flight press briefing hosted by NASA, further shared her insights on their historic journey to space.

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News world ‘Can’t Blame Anybody’: Sunita Williams Says Spacecraft Needs Minor Fixes After Delayed Return