NASA astronauts show confidence in Boeing despite Starliner setback

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore reaffirmed their support for NASA and Boeing after it was decided that they would remain in orbit contrary to the original plans, while the problematic spacecraft they brought to the International Space Station returned to Earth without crew. When asked if they felt let down by Boeing and the Starliner spacecraft, Wilmore clarified: “Disappointed? Absolutely not. That thought never crossed my mind, and I don't think it did for Suni either until you mentioned it.” He also commented on the emotions surrounding the return of the spacecraft: “To be honest, I was just so glad that it made it home without issues. We watched it fly away, and the entire crew was up, no matter the time, at 3 AM. We had it on our iPads and watched the landing.” Wilmore emphasized the risks of spaceflight: “It's a very dangerous business, and things don’t always go as planned. Before the launch, we said that we would encounter problems. That’s the nature of a test. Every test flight, especially the first flight of a spacecraft or aircraft, has revealed issues that you cannot imagine—90 percent of our training prepares us for the unexpected.”