NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (62) and Suni Williams (59) have completed their rehabilitation following a prolonged nine-month stay on the International Space Station (ISS), far exceeding the planned eight-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. They returned to Earth in March and spent 45 days undergoing post-mission recovery to regain muscle strength, balance, and adapt to Earth’s gravity.
Both astronauts faced physical challenges. Wilmore experienced recurring neck pain that had vanished during his time in space, while Williams dealt with sluggish mornings as her body reactivated dormant muscle groups. They participated in two-hour daily rehabilitation sessions with NASA’s medical team.
Resuming Work with NASA and Boeing
Following recovery, Wilmore and Williams resumed work with multiple teams including NASA’s space station division, Boeing’s Starliner program, and research groups. Williams described the period as a whirlwind, balancing recovery with increasing obligations.
The astronauts are also contributing insights from their mission experience to Boeing’s development team as the aerospace company works to address the technical issues that extended the Starliner mission unexpectedly.
Technical Problems with Starliner
The Starliner spacecraft experienced propulsion system issues, leading NASA to bring the capsule back uncrewed and keep the astronauts onboard the ISS as part of a standard long-term crew rotation. Boeing has already incurred over $2 billion in development charges and spent $410 million on a similar uncrewed mission in 2022, after a failed attempt in 2019.
Push for Uncrewed Test Before Reflight
Williams voiced support for conducting another uncrewed test flight of Starliner before it carries astronauts again. She compared this cautious approach to practices followed by both SpaceX and Russia’s space agencies. According to her, both she and NASA believe an uncrewed flight is the right step before resuming human missions.
NASA officials have stated that the decision will depend on the outcome of Starliner’s summer testing. The results will determine whether the next flight of the capsule will include astronauts or proceed without a crew.
