‘We’d go to space in Boeing Starliner again’: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Wilmore say after return to Earth

“Yes, because we’re going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We’re going to fix them. We’re going to make it work. Boeing is completely committed. NASA is completely committed, and with that, I’d get on in a heartbeat,” Wilmore said about future endeavors on the Boeing Starliner, reported CBS News.

LIVE: @NASA_Astronauts @AstroHague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore are talking about their #Crew9 mission to the @Space_Station, which returned to Earth on Tuesday, March 18. https://t.co/xoVuCu6C16

— NASA (@NASA) March 31, 2025

During Boeing Starliner’s first pilot mission, launched on June 5, 2024 for eight days with Wilmore, who is 62, and Williams, 59 aboard both of whom are former military test pilots, and the spacecraft experienced small helium leak in the ship’s propulsion pressurization system which engineers said won’t get worse.

Sunita Williams smiles and waves after the Crew-9 mission splashdown (Photo – NASA)

But the Starliner started to face technical issues with additional helium propulsion system leaks and maneuvering jets not producing enough thrusts. Hence, NASA decided to keep the duo astronauts in the ISS.

Welcome home, #Crew9@NASA_Astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov splashed down off the coast of Florida at 5:57pm ET (2127 UTC), concluding their scientific mission to the @Space_Station: https://t.co/DFWxQIiz6O pic.twitter.com/VQu3DhpTUJ

— NASA (@NASA) March 19, 2025

Responding to the Boeing Starliner question, Sunita Williams said “I would agree. The spacecraft is really capable. There were a couple things that needed to be fixed…and folks are actively working on that, but it is a great spacecraft, and it has a lot of capability that other spacecraft don’t have. To see that thing successful and to be part of that program is an honor.”

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew 9 explorers splashed down off the coast of Florida, near Tallahassee, on March 18, and brought Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth.