Why were Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore trapped in space for so long? What did they do there

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, along with her partner Butch Wilmore, has been stranded in ISS for over nine months. why they were stranded for so long? What did they do in space? These are some curious questions around their stay.

Vaishali Shastri

Updated : Mar 19, 2025, 12:44 AM IST

Why were Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore trapped in space for so long? What did they do there. (Image credit: NASA)

Sunita Williams who is now headed towards her return to earth has witnessed a remarkable career journey in both space and on earth. The credit to her incredible journey goes to the various records she broke while researching in space and the passion with which she contributed to space exploration. She had been in space for nine months now and had earlier talked about her experience of living there. In a previous interview, Sunita Williams spoke about the physiological changes she went through. “Your calluses disappear because you don’t walk, and I noticed my nails and hair grew faster. In zero gravity, some wrinkles on your face might temporarily smooth out as fluids shift upwards. Your spine expands because there’s no pressure on the cartilage between vertebrae, making you a little taller in space. However, these changes reverse when you return to Earth, and gravity brings you back to your normal height, sometimes with a bit of back pain.”

These nine months have been a huge challenge. The astronauts were stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) because of serious technical failures in their spacecraft. While NASA was sending Sunita Williams, 59, and Frank Wilmore, 62, to the ISS, the mission was disrupted due to unexpected thruster issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule, leaving the astronauts stranded.

Both the astronauts have stated that they did everything to make the most of every moment while they were in space. During this time they were orbiting 400 km above earth. Their main work at ISS involved maintaining routine upkeep, run scientific tests, and execute extravehicular activities (EVAs), also known as spacewalks. The NASA’s official website said that Williams and Wilmore Researchers studied ways to grow plants in microgravity, focusing on the Plant Water Management system. They explored how to use fluid physics, like surface tension and hydroponics, to efficiently water and nourish plants in space, a crucial step for future long-duration missions aiming to grow food on spacecWhat kind of food does Sunita Williams eat in spaceraft.

What kind of food does Sunita Williams eat in space?

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore did not get fresh fruits and vegetables for long and just after three months they received frozens fruits, vegetables, breakfast cereal with powdered milk, pizza, shrimp cocktails, roast chicken, and tuna.

Astronauts tended to the Vegetable Production System ("Veggie") on the ISS, which cultivates fresh produce. Wilmore added a light meter to Veggie, allowing for precise light measurements and adjustments to create ideal conditions for plant growth.

Williams took charge of Expedition 72, leading ISS operations and managing crew activities. Her leadership ensured seamless transitions and mission execution. Both astronauts also performed spacewalks for exterior maintenance. Notably, Williams set a new record for female astronauts' total spacewalking time, logging 62 hours and 6 minutes.