WASHINGTON — It’s been more than seven months since astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore traveled into space on a Boeing Starliner.

While the mission was only supposed to be eight days, mechanical issues have delayed their return. NASA’s Administrator Bill Nelson held an Earth-to-Space call with them Wednesday for a check-in as they remain aboard the International Space Station. 

What You Need To Know

  • Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will remain at the International Space Station until at least late March

  • NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and the agency's deputy administrator held a call with them and other astronauts at the ISS Wednesday

  • Williams and Wilmore say they are doing well, and are looking forward to upcoming spacewalks

Williams and Wilmore aren’t expected to return to earth until at least late March on a Space X spacecraft. Their original spacecraft, a Boeing Starliner, had technical issues in June. 

The Starliner ended up safely returning to earth this summer, but the astronauts stayed at the International Space Station out of an abundance of caution. 

“Eventually we want to go home, because we left our families a little while ago, but we have a lot to do while we’re up here," Williams said Wednesday. "We’ve got to get all that stuff done before we go home."

Nelson and NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy held a call with Williams and Wilmore, and astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit, who are also aboard the ISS. 

Despite the announcement last month pushing the Starliner astronauts' return from February to at least March, Wilmore and Williams insist they’re doing fine, and even cracked some jokes.  

“Reporters still keep asking me about how you’re stranded, that they’re concerned that you don’t have any clothes, that you don’t have any food," Nelson said. "Would you put to rest for the final time? And, I hope you never have to answer it again, just how you all are doing?”

“We never had any issue with wearing clothes for an extended amount of time," Wilmore said. "Now, we have plenty of clothes. We are well fed. I’ve never seen anyone ever, ever eat as much as Don Pettit can eat. It is amazing to watch this man eat as skinny as he is."

The pair is not the first to be stuck in space longer than expected. NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio broke a record for longest spaceflight for an American in 2023, after spending more than a year in space due to a coolant leak on the original spacecraft that was supposed to take him home. 

Before heading back to earth, Williams is expected to do a spacewalk with Hague next week, and another spacewalk with Wilmore the following week.