On June 5, 2024, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore went up to the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner. The two stayed aboard the space station as the Starliner made its way back to Earth, with no crew. The duo has been aboard the space station for over five months, stranded, and their return will take place in February, 2025 when the SpaceX Dragon makes its way to the ISS.
The two astronauts are known around the world for this tragedy, but what do we know about their lives and achievements?
Sunita Williams was born on September 19, 1965 in Ohio. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy, and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. After a career in the Navy where she was a pilot and logged 3,000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft, she was selected to be an astronaut for Nasa in 1998. She has been a part of many expeditions since that time, with a total of 322 days in space. She holds many awards, including previously holding the record for the most amount of time on cumulative space walks: 50 hours and 40 minutes (the record now belongs to Whitston). She was presented with the Legion of Merit, the Humanitarian Service Medal, awarded two Naval Commendation Medals, and more.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore was born in 1962 in Tennessee. He received a Bachelor’s and a Master’s of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Tennessee Technological University, and a Master of Science in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee. He was a part of the Navy, where he logged over 8,000 flight hours and 663 carrier landings. He was selected to be an astronaut for NASA in 2000; so far he has logged 178 days in space and on his first flight as a pilot he logged over 259 hours in space. As far as spacewalks, Barry has logged 25 hours and 36 minutes of time. He has received many awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, six Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals, and more.
This information is just a basic overview, but it gives us a look into the lives of these courageous individuals who have chosen to brave the unknown universe in the name of science. Let’s all pray for them and their safe return.
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