‘We weren’t stuck’: US astronauts give first interview

News.com.au - 01/04
One of NASA’s two rescued astronauts said he doesn’t want to “point fingers” after the pair’s week-long test flight turned into a nine-month space stay, in their first interview since returning to Earth two weeks ago.

One of NASA’s two rescued astronauts said he doesn’t want to “point fingers” after the pair’s week-long test flight turned into a nine-month space stay, in their first interview since returning to Earth two weeks ago.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams splashed down off the coast of Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule on March 18 after a 17-hour-journey from the International Space Station (ISS). The veteran astronauts had blasted off in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner, which developed propulsion issues during its first crewed flight and was deemed unfit for their voyage back home.

Speaking to Fox News ahead of a joint press conference on Monday, Mr Wilmore hit back at the narrative that the astronauts were “stuck” or “abandoned” on the ISS.

“Any of those adjectives, they’re very broad in their definition,” Mr Wilmore told the outlet.

“So in certain respects we were stuck, in certain respects, maybe we were stranded, but based on how they were couching this, that we were left and forgotten in orbit, we were nowhere near any of that at all.

“Stuck? OK, we didn’t get to come home the way we plan...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]