CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two veteran U.S. Navy test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will extend their stay on the International Space Station, marking a major milestone in their spaceflight careers. The decision was made Saturday by NASA. The astronauts were to wait for a SpaceX flight in late February rather than return in their ill-fated Boeing capsule, extending their mission from the eight-day period originally planned to more than eight months.
Butch Wilmore, 61, a native of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, has an impressive background as a Navy test pilot with over 8,000 flight hours and 663 carrier landings. He flew combat missions during the first Gulf War and was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2000. Wilmore previously visited the International Space Station in 2009 and spent six months aboard the orbiting laboratory in 2014, where he conducted four spacewalks.
On the other hand, Suni Williams, 58, is the first woman to serve as a test pilot for a new spacecraft. She joined NASA in 1998 and has a diverse background: she served in a Navy helicopter squadron during the Gulf War. Williams has completed two missions to the space station, one of which she commanded, and has performed a total of seven spacewalks. Notably, during her time in space, she ran the Boston Marathon on a treadmill on the station and participated in a triathlon.
Both astronauts have families accustomed to the uncertainties of their profession. Wilmore, a married father of two, is an elder at his local Baptist church in Houston. Williams, whose husband is a retired U.S. Marshal and former Naval Aviator, has a widowed mother who worries about her during her space missions.
These two astronauts bring a wealth of experience and dedication to their extended mission on the International Space Station, demonstrating the resilience and expertise of those exploring the final frontier.
