After months in space, Sunita Williams reveals the one thing she missed the most about Earth

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth on March 18 after several months in space with the help of SpaceX. While the return was initially scheduled for February, it was delayed several times due to issues in the spacecraft. NASA later confirmed that the spacecraft would not be ready until "no earlier than late March 2025," as per CNN. They said that the SpaceX Crew-9 capsule would be handling their return home. During her time away from Earth's gravity, Williams revealed what she missed the most. Speaking with students at Needham High School on January 27, she described how her sense of movement after prolonged exposure to microgravity, reported CBS Boston.

She said how she longed for experiences like walking again. Talking to the students, she said, "I've been up here long enough; right now I've been trying to remember what it's like to walk. I haven't walked. I haven't sat down. I haven't laid down. You don't have to. You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here." She continued, "There’s no resistance. You can do things like a gymnast can do without any effort, without any training. It’s pretty fun. You’re sort of flying through the lab." She also admitted that her space experience altered her perception of basic physical experiences on Earth. 

"It was a little bit of a shock, actually. We knew that it would be probably a month or so, honestly. But the extended stay was just a little bit different," she said. Beyond the logistical issues of an extended space mission, Williams also faced the emotional toll of being away from her loved ones. She said that while staying busy and keeping in touch with people back home helped prevent feelings of isolation, she often thought about the familiar comforts waiting for her on Earth. She told students how she remained focused on the moment she would step foot on Earth again. Having spent so much time floating, she admitted that readjusting would be strange. 

Due to the delay, both Williams and Wilmore spent their holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, in space. They even participated in the 2024 U.S. elections while in space. "My mother's getting a little bit older, so in that regard, I just try to stay in touch with them and those guys as much as possible. I think I talk to my mom practically every day. Just check in with her and call her and see how she's doing. So it's just a little bit different relationship than we had potentially planned on for the last couple of months. But we're managing," Williams shared with CBS, as per CNBC.

Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, expressed his gratitude towards the SpaceX team. He said, "We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight." Now that they have returned, their replacements will join the SpaceX Crew-10 mission after its scheduled launch in March or April.