NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore has detailed the harrowing experience of being stranded in space for nine months, recounting a moment where he feared for his and crewmate Sunita Williams' lives due to critical malfunctions with the Boeing Starliner capsule. The astronauts, who launched in July 2024 for an intended eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), faced significant thruster failures upon approach.
Wilmore described the terrifying moment he struggled to control the Starliner as four of its eight primary thrusters failed, with a fifth subsequently malfunctioning. This loss of control, which he likened to the spacecraft becoming harder to maneuver and sounding like a "machine gun" firing, raised serious doubts about their ability to reach the ISS and, more critically, to return safely to Earth.
"We got to get there. If we can't get there, I'm not sure we can make it back to Earth like this," Wilmore said in an interview. "So, there's that thought of not surviving, right?"
Even as he focused on docking with the ISS, Wilmore concluded that the Starliner, in its compromised state, was not a viable option for their return journey. "We ain't coming home in the spacecraft," he recalled thinking.
The Starliner capsule experienced numerous issues, including thruster failures that impacted its ability to achieve the "six degrees of freedom" – the necessary range of movement for a spacecraft. Wilmore noted that such widespread thruster problems had not occurred before in human spaceflight history.
Despite NASA's initial assertion that the Starliner could safely return the astronauts, Wilmore stated he was convinced otherwise before docking. He explained that the inability to inspect the damaged thrusters, which were not designed for external examination, meant they could never be completely certain of the problem or its resolution. The official decision to not use the Starliner for their return was made about a month after they had docked with the ISS.
Wilmore also expressed frustration regarding certain undisclosed processes and decisions related to the Starliner's issues, though he did not specify details. He differentiated these professional frustrations from his state of mind while aboard the ISS, where he described himself as "content."
He attributed his contentment to his Christian faith, which he said helped him accept his circumstances while acknowledging the presence of fear and anxiety. Wilmore explained the necessity of compartmentalizing these emotions to maintain focus on his responsibilities during the extended mission. "That's not to say it's not there, but you got to put it in the right spot and go forward," he stated.
The Starliner capsule eventually returned to Earth autonomously in September 2024 without crew. Wilmore and Williams were safely transported back to Earth by SpaceX's Crew-9 mission in March 2025, concluding their nine-month stay in space.