Astronaut and Massachusetts native Suni Williams talks about what she missed while stranded in space
Astronaut and Needham, Massachusetts native Suni Williams visited WBZ-TV Friday, where she spoke with meteorologist Jacob Wycoff about growing up in Needham, her extended time in space and what she missed most on earth.
"Needham was a wonderful place to grow up, it was a small town, it felt like we knew everybody, people's families, I think everybody knew us as the kids who came into school with wet hair from swimming practice," said Williams, talking about her time growing up in Massachusetts. "It really was a wonderful place where you felt free to jump on your bike, go for a run, know other people and have all sorts of opportunities."
Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore returned to earth back in March after being stranded in space for nine months. Williams and Wilmore were supposed to be at the International Space Station for a week but because of technical issues, ended up staying for 286 days.
"As the summer went on and we realized that we would be staying for a little bit longer because there was a lot of testing that needed to be done, we were just not going to get it done in that timeframe, again, I pivoted, as well as my buddy Butch Wilmore, to make that the right place at the right time," said Williams. "Both of us had experience on the space station before, so we could jump right in and help them with their activities and then we had the opportunity to do a couple of space walks while we were up there and all sorts of amazing science experiments."
What it's like returning from space
"We weren't super mobile, you couldn't stand up, you couldn't walk, you're strong enough to be able to do that but your neurovestibular system takes a little bit of a hit," said Williams as she recounted returning to earth. "So just being a little bit dizzy for a couple days, that obviously causes a little bit of nausea...It's a process of getting both your balance, your agility, making sure your spine is back in the correct place."
Since she's returned, Williams received an honorary degree from Merrimack College, where she addressed the Class of 2025 at their commencement. She also met Gov. Maura Healey, who awarded her a Governor's Citation in recognition of her dedicated service to her country and space exploration. And earlier this month at the Falmouth Road Race, she was presented with a special medal for running last year's road race from space.
What did she miss while in space?
"I'm doing great, doing really good," Williams told WBZ-TV. "It's coming up on six months since landing. I feel great, running a little bit slow but still feel perfect and been able to see family and friends and do a little visiting and obviously got to jump in the ocean, so I'm very happy about that."
When asked what she missed the most while stuck in space, Williams said, "I did have lobster this year. I've had it three times already and yeah, I missed it incredibly. You know what I really missed and I can't wait for is the fall colors."