Before sharing advice for the future generation of space explorers, astronaut Suni Williams took a moment to shout out her hometown of Needham, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts native and astronaut Sunita Williams spoke publicly on Monday for the very first times since splashing back down to Earth earlier this month.
The former Needham resident spoke alongside fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The two were in space for 286 days on board the International Space Station before finally returning on March 18. They were originally supposed to spend just eight days in space, but problems with the Boeing Starliner caused their stay to be extended to nine months.
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Williams and Wilmore were both eager to look forward while stressing that they were never really stranded in space — they'd planned for the possibility of being there far longer than they were supposed to and were helped along the way by their capable team from NASA and beyond.
"We were always coming back, and I think people need to know that," Williams said, when asked for her message to the people who kept cheering for her in Needham.
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Asked about who he'd blame for what happened, Wilmore started with himself, as the mission commander.
"I could have asked some questions and the answers to those questions could have turned the tide," he said, adding that Boeing and NASA also shared responsibility, but that blame isn't the point in a tough business like spaceflight.
"We're going to look forward, and that's the focus," he said.
The impact of being on a great team didn't end with their return to Earth, according to Williams and Wilmore, who noted that strength trainers have helped them recuperate and get used to gravity enough that Williams ran three miles on Sunday.
And as for the widespread interest about getting them home safely, Williams said it was a surprise: "I don’t think we were aware of the degree. Pretty honored and humbled, and when we came home, wow, there are a lot of people who are interested."
The pair also spoke in a Fox News interview that aired ahead of the news conference.
Williams did two space walks during her time in space, while she conducted numerous experiments and broke several records.
Everyone back home in Needham had been anxiously waiting to hear from Williams.
NBC10 Boston was set to speak 1-on-1 with Williams later Monday.
