NASA Astronaut Struggles to Recall Life on Earth After Extended Space Stay

Social Media · February 2

A NASA astronaut who has been stranded aboard the International Space Station since last June admitted she is struggling to remember the sensation of basic human activities like walking and lying down.

Suni Williams made the comments during a call with students at Needham High School in Massachusetts on Monday. As she and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore continued their prolonged orbit around Earth, Williams explained the strange experience of living in a zero-gravity environment for such an extended period.

“I’ve been up here long enough right now I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk,” the Massachusetts native told the students from her alma mater. “I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down. I haven’t laid down. You don’t have to. You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here,” she added, describing the unusual reality of her weightless surroundings.

The 59-year-old astronaut and Wilmore, 62, were originally supposed to stay in space for only eight days. However, their mission has now stretched to over eight months due to ongoing technical issues that have prevented their return.

“It was a little bit of a shock actually,” Williams admitted during her conversation with the students. “We knew that it would be probably a month or so, honestly. But the extended stay was just a little bit different.”

Williams also shared how the prolonged mission has impacted her personal life, particularly her relationship with her family.

“My mother’s getting a little bit older, so in that regard, I just try to stay in touch with them and those guys as much as possible,” she said. “I think I talk to my mom practically every day. Just check in with her and call her and see how she’s doing. So it’s just a little bit different relationship than we had potentially planned on for the last couple months. But we’re managing.”

Despite the challenges of their extended stay, Williams and Wilmore were able to move around outside the station on Thursday during their first spacewalk since their unintended prolonged mission began. The two astronauts were assigned to remove a damaged antenna and collect samples from the station’s exterior to check for surviving microbes that may have endured the harsh conditions of space.

During this mission, Williams achieved a new milestone, setting the record for the most spacewalking hours by a female astronaut over a career. This marked her ninth spacewalk in total.

The two astronauts are currently expected to return to Earth in late March or April, when their replacements will arrive aboard a planned SpaceX Crew-10 flight. However, the delay has sparked political commentary, with former President Donald Trump criticizing the Biden administration over the astronauts' prolonged stay in orbit.

Elon Musk addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.” Trump echoed this sentiment on his social media platform Truth Social, writing, “The 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration. They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station.

Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!”

As the astronauts continue their extended stay aboard the space station, their journey serves as both a testament to human endurance and a reminder of the complexities and unpredictability of space travel.

Based on a report by NYP | CNN 2025-02-03