'I miss the weather': NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore talk about extended stay on ISS
From the smell of freshly cut grass to walking the dog on a rainy day, NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore are looking forward to experiencing the weather after spending more than nine months in space.
NASA Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams shared their experience on the ISS with AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno as they await their hopeful return home later this month.
What was supposed to be a short test flight has turned into a nearly 1-year stay on the International Space Station for NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. The extended stay in space has them pining for the simple pleasures of stepping outside, but there have been some perks.
"It's been amazing to see what weather is going on around our planet," Williams told AccuWeather during a live interview from space. "We see a lot of lightning."
A flash of lightning from a thunderstorm below the International Space Station. (NASA Earth Observatory)
However, seeing the weather and being outside in the elements are two different things, and feeling the weather on their skin is one of the many things the astronauts are looking forward to after returning to Earth later this month.
"I actually really do miss the weather," Williams said.
"Part of the reasons I miss my dogs is I get to take them on a walk and when I take them on a walk, sometimes it's raining, sometimes it's windy, sometimes it's hot," she added. "I'm looking forward to feeling all that weather from Earth."
This image made from a NASA live stream shows NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore during a press conference from the International Space Station on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)
The weather is fairly consistent on the space station, with the thermostat set to 75 and humidity hovering around 40%. The only wind is the breeze from a fan or when floating through the station in microgravity.
"You kind of miss the smell of fresh cut grass, and those type of things that just you kind of take for granted," Wilmore explained. "You don't have that up here, so [I'm] looking forward to just some of those basics."
Williams and Wilmore blasted off from Florida on June 5, 2024, during a test flight of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. After troubleshooting multiple issues, it was decided out of an abundance of caution for the astronauts to stay in space while Starliner returned to Earth without a crew.
"Of course, you know, we came up here thinking we'd be only here for a little while and do our test flight, but then the added time here has allowed us to do all the science experiments," Williams told AccuWeather. "We've gone through a lot of holidays together. We've learned how to make cakes up here for each other. So it's been a lot of fun actually."
In this image released by NASA, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, both Expedition 71 Flight Engineers, make pizza aboard the International Space Station's galley located inside the Unity module on Sept. 9, 2024. Items are attached to the galley using tape and velcro to keep them from flying away in the microgravity environment. (NASA via AP, File)
The astronauts are slated to leave the ISS later this month and return to Earth on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
"Opportunities for the betterment of mankind is what all this exploration is about, wherever it's taking place and to be able to take part in that, especially in such a wonderfully special place like this is, it's just a blessing," Wilmore said.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams, left, and Butch Wilmore stand together for a photo enroute to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
