US astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore revealed their initial responses after learning that a week-long test flight would be transformed into a nine-month space odyssey.
“My first thought was, we just got to the pivot, right?” Williams, 59, said in a sit-down interview with Fox News' “American Newsroom.”
“I was like, 'Okay, let's make the most of it.' We had a plan and trained us to be there for a while, so we were ready to jump into it and take on the tasks that were given to us. ”
Wilmore, 62, said he missed most of his daughter's junior high school students due to the ordeal, but pushed her feelings aside to focus on “national goals.”
“It's not about me, it's not about me,” Wilmore said. “It's about what this human spaceflight program is, and that's our national goal.
“I thought, 'What does the country need now?' Of course, did you think that you weren't there for your daughter's high school year?
The pair spoke up after a dramatic return to Earth from the International Space Station on March 18, after spending a total of 286 days of space.
The NASA duo set out on what was supposed to be an eight-day test flight on Boeing's new Starliner spacecraft last June.
Their unplanned jant quickly attracted global attention, giving the phrase “stuck at work” a new meaning.
Last week, President Trump, who personally vowed to cover overtime costs for veteran astronauts, has already said he wants to welcome the pair to the White House when they fully recover.
President and CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk has long criticised former President Joe Biden for staying in space for a long time.
When asked about Trump and Musk's interest in space exploration, Williams said he “has no reason” to not believe them.
“They have won my trust, and I am grateful that our national leaders have actually been involved in and participate in our human spaceflight program,” he said.
“That's very important [of] The global importance of them playing an active role. Based on what we see now, it is refreshing, not refreshing, but empowering. It's strengthened. ”
