Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, were supposed to return to Earth after an eight-day mission. But their Boeing Starliner ship malfunctioned. Instead of a short trip, they were stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) for 286 days. The astronauts finally made it back home, but their journey was full of danger.

The Problems Started Before They Reached the ISS

Wilmore and Williams spoke about their experience after returning to Earth. NASA astronauts share many details of their harrowing adventure. They said the ship had issues from the very beginning. But the scariest moment came when they were close to docking with the ISS. Just as they were about to arrive, Wilmore had to take manual control. Then, four thrusters stopped working. This made it impossible to steer the ship properly.

A Moment of Crisis and a Difficult Decision

According to space flight rules, they should have returned to Earth. But Wilmore knew that might not be possible. He thought they had completely lost control of the ship. He and Williams had to decide quickly. Williams later said they did not even need words. NASA astronauts share such deep mutual understanding in critical moments is often unspoken. They understood the situation just by looking at each other. But they had no idea why the thrusters had failed or how they could fix them.

Thinking Fast in a Life-Threatening Situation

Wilmore analyzed their position in space. The ISS was nose down, and their ship was below it. In space, being lower means moving faster. This could have pushed them away from the station. Wilmore worried about losing more thrusters or even communication. He thought about what he would do if the situation got even worse. At that moment, they were completely unsure if they would ever return to Earth.

NASA Steps In to Help Save the Mission

The Starliner ship used a vision system to track the ISS. But because of the malfunction, they started to drift. Both astronauts became nervous. If the system failed completely, the ship would automatically abort the docking process. That would have sent them away from the ISS and into uncertainty. They were running out of options and needed help from NASA. NASA astronauts share the pressures and challenges of relying on ground control for help in such critical moments.

A Tough Decision and a Desperate Wait

NASA worked to reboot the thrusters, but Wilmore had to let go of manual control first. He and Williams had no choice but to float helplessly in space. Wilmore later admitted that giving up control was one of the hardest things he had to do. But there was no other way. It was a terrifying moment, waiting to see if NASA’s fix would work.

When the thrusters finally came back online, the ship was able to dock at the ISS. Williams was so relieved that she did a little happy dance. She loved being in space, but this moment was different. She was just happy that Starliner worked. The worst seemed to be over. But Wilmore was not so sure.

Even though they were safe on the ISS, Wilmore had a new concern. He believed Starliner might not be safe enough to bring them back to Earth. He called Vincent LaCourt, the ISS flight director. His first question was simple but serious: Was Starliner still a safe way home?

NASA Still Has Questions About What Went Wrong

The astronauts made it home, but their mission raised many concerns. Starliner had serious problems, and NASA now has to figure out what happened. Before using the spacecraft again, engineers will need to make sure it is safe. Wilmore and Williams survived a near disaster. But the next astronauts to fly Starliner will need to trust that every issue has been fixed. NASA astronauts share stories like these to help improve future missions.