Sunita, Butch hold first post-space press conference

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore faced journalists at a press conference organized by NASA at the Johnson Space Center, marking their first public appearance since their return.

During the press conference, at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Sunita and Butch discussed their extended stay, describing it as a "unique incident" and highlighting the lessons learned. Both praised the Starliner spacecraft, calling it "very capable," and assured that the issues would be resolved for future missions. Butch stated, “We will fix the problems we’ve had. We will make it work again.”

The mission, known as 'Crew-10', was a joint effort between NASA and SpaceX, with Elon Musk’s SpaceX capsule bringing the astronauts back to Earth.

When asked about returning to space, Butch responded, “I can go back to space in a heartbeat,” adding that while their return was delayed, they were well-trained and prepared for any situation, so they did not feel "stranded."

Sunita also shared her thoughts on the public's expectations during their mission, admitting they hadn’t anticipated the level of attention they received. She expressed how honored and humbled they were by the interest in their journey.

On the topic of politics in space, Nick Hague emphasized that, “When we work in space, we don’t feel any politics,” focusing on the collaborative nature of their work in orbit.

Sunita and Butch returned to Earth on March 18 after spending 286 days on the International Space Station (ISS). Initially planned as an 8-day mission, their stay was extended due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The duo, along with fellow astronaut Nick Hague, was brought back by SpaceX’s capsule in a mission called ‘Crew-10.’