NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who holds the American record for the longest single spaceflight, is encouraging his colleagues who are currently stranded in space to remain optimistic and continue their outstanding work. Rubio draws from personal experience, having spent just over a year on the International Space Station (ISS), twice the duration initially planned for his own mission.
Over the past two weeks, Rubio has been offering support to his friends facing an extended stay on the ISS. He recently spoke with Suni Williams and commended her and Butch Wilmore for their resilience and positive attitude during this challenging period.
Williams and Wilmore were originally scheduled to return to Earth in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule following its first crewed test flight. However, technical issues involving thrusters and helium leaks led NASA to conclude last weekend that it would be safer to bring them back using SpaceX’s spacecraft. This decision means they will now remain in space until February, extending their mission by more than eight months.
“They’re doing great work, really maintaining a positive attitude up there, setting a great example and knocking out a whole lot of extra work on the space station,” Rubio commented from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Rubio acknowledged that staying in space until next year is far from “the optimal outcome,” but praised Williams and Wilmore for their admirable handling of the situation. Their families, like his own, have also made significant sacrifices due to the unexpected change in plans.
“But that’s part of our job is just to adapt and overcome and make the best of the situation,” Rubio added. “And they’ve done just that, so super proud of them.”
Neither Williams nor Wilmore have publicly addressed the issues with the Starliner since their solitary orbital news conference last month, long before the decision to switch their return trip to SpaceX and send Boeing’s capsule back empty in early September.
Rubio’s own ordeal involved a Russian Soyuz capsule that was compromised by space debris, leading to a coolant leak. A replacement Soyuz was swiftly dispatched to bring him and his two Russian counterparts safely back to Earth last September. Rubio’s record-breaking 371-day stay on the ISS underscores his understanding of long-duration space missions and the resilience required to endure them.
