Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams took questions from the International Space Station after the Boeing Starliner capsule began its unmanned mission home.
The two NASA astronauts who piloted the first crewed test flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule — and were left behind on the space station as the beleaguered spacecraft returned to Earth — took questions on Friday for the first time in weeks.
Wilmore added that time constraints are a fact of life aboard the space station, which keeps to a busy schedule as visiting spacecraft drop off rotating crews of astronauts and cargo ships. There was "just a little disagreement in terms of the level of risk," NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said.
Williams added that teams on the ground and in space "made the right decisions," saying, "It's risky, and that's how it goes in the business."Williams and Wilmore had launched aboard Starliner in early June expecting to spend only about eight days on board the orbiting laboratory. Williams and Wilmore had launched aboard Starliner in early June expecting to spend only about eight days on board the orbiting laboratory.
Williams said that she missed her family and pets and told CNN's Kristin Fisher she was disappointed to miss some family events this fall and winter, but she added: "This is my happy place. Wilmore said he and Williams will be involved in discussions with NASA and Boeing regarding what needs to change in order to get the Starliner spacecraft back on track.
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