The pair were stranded on the International Space Station after the Starliner brought them there on June 6.
While the Starliner returned to Earth unmanned on September 7, the pair continue to wait for SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, which will pick them up from the ISS and return them home no earlier than February 2025.
The option of having the astronauts return on the Starliner was considered, but ultimately NASA decided that it involved high risks and could lead to their deaths.
At a recent press briefing, Wilmore said they did not have enough time to fully test the spacecraft's systems to make a decision on how to return. He explained that they were unable to complete the testing of Starliner's onboard systems in time to avoid disrupting the ISS schedule for other spacecraft due to arrive in the coming months.
"There were things we just couldn't handle. The data could get there. We just didn't have enough time," he said.
Wilmore acknowledged the string of setbacks, saying there had been 'some tough moments' since their mission began and it was hard to see Starliner returning home without them.
Their prolonged stay is also proving challenging for their families on Earth. Wilmore and his wife have two daughters, one of whom is a high school student and the other is in college.
Wilmore said that because of the delayed return mission, he will miss most of his youngest daughter's senior year and that he hasn't had a chance to spend the summer with the older one before she returns to college.
"They're going to learn from this and grow from this," he said.
Sunita left her husband and two dogs at home when Starliner took off more than three months ago.
She said she misses taking her dogs for a walk in the morning and hearing the sounds of the Earth's beginning day, like the chirping of birds.
But being able to watch her home planet through the ISS window "takes you to another place, it's very peaceful here," she said.
Starliner launched June 5 with the intention of docking with the ISS for about a week, then returning Wilmore and Williams safely to Earth.
But the mission has already gotten off to a rough start. In the weeks prior, the launch was delayed several times due to technical issues with the spacecraft.
Even on launch day, Starliner had small helium leaks that engineers determined were not serious enough to postpone the launch again.
From here on, it's all downhill from there. By the time the ship reaches the ISS, it has more helium leaks and 5 of the 18 engines have failed.
Williams said that because he and Wilmore both worked in the Navy, they were familiar with such last-minute logistical changes.
"We're not surprised when deployment locations change. Our families understand. It's risky, and that's the way it goes in business," she said. | BGNES
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