A Nasa astronaut stuck in orbit for about nine months has said he would fly back to space on Boeing’s Starliner, adding that the company is “completely committed” to fixing the capsule for future missions.
“We’re going to rectify all the issues that we encountered,” Butch Wilmore told reporters on Monday. “We’re going to make it work. Boeing is completely committed, Nasa is completely committed.”
Mr Wilmore and crewmate Suni Williams returned to Earth on March 18, after spending months living on the International Space Station.
Their extended stay in orbit captured the world’s attention, with many calling them the “stranded” astronauts, since Nasa decided to bring them home on a different vehicle than the one that brought them to space.
The astronauts, and crew member Nick Hague, appeared upbeat, healthy and happy to be home during Monday’s news conference. They shared stories about reuniting with family and an intense cycle of rehabilitation to recover from the prolonged space flight. Ms Williams said she recently ran 5km. Mr Wilmore spoke about spending time with family and the importance of his Christian faith.
The astronauts are expected to meet Boeing programme managers and engineers on Wednesday to discuss issues with Starliner, Mr Wilmore added.
The duo were launched to the ISS in June on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, for what was supposed to be a roughly week-long mission to determine if the vehicle was safe to transport astronauts.
But after Starliner experienced numerous technical issues with its thrusters during the trip, Nasa decided that Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams would return home on a SpaceX Dragon capsule instead – one that was slated to return in the spring.
“I’d go back in a heartbeat,” Mr Williams told Fox News in an interview that aired earlier on Monday.
The pair undocked from the ISS and splashed down off the coast of Florida in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. After undergoing some medical checks, they flew to Houston, where they were reunited with their families.
Mr Wilmore told reporters the responsibility for a flawed mission extends to everyone involved.
“I could have asked some questions and the answers to those questions could have turned the tide,” Mr Wilmore said. “We all are responsible. We all own this.”
