Former NASA astronaut shares take on Boeing Starliner team stranded in space

Former NASA astronaut isn’t worried about her friends stuck up on the ISS: ‘Those smiles are genuine.’

What you probably already know: Boeing launched its Starliner spacecraft in early June with plans for the two astronauts aboard to dock with the International Space Station, complete some assignments, and return within about a week. But after discovering issues with the spacecraft, the astronauts are still there and their return has been postponed indefinitely. To many of us, that might sound like a nightmare. But to former NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, who lived in the ISS for almost six months, it’s a dream come true.

Why? “By adding two people to the crew, it’s changing what we can accomplish on the space station,” Coleman said. “There’s always a to-do list that is miles long and never enough people to do these things.” The extra hands are very much appreciated, she said, and it’s allowing the team in the space station to get a lot more done, including scientific experiments, maintenance and other work.

What it means: Coleman knows how NASA works and she knows both of the astronauts, Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. Before the rocket took off, Coleman said, they calculated how long the astronauts could stay there should the worst happen, and how they’d return to Earth if their spacecraft was beyond repair. “They don’t have to be in a hurry because they’ve already planned for this,” Coleman said. “There’s enough room up there.”

What happens now? This is NASA at its best, Coleman said. They plan for every contingency and this is evidence of that. And in the meantime, the two astronauts who were supposed to get just a few days in space are getting weeks, even months. “I guarantee you that Butch and Suni are happier than … well insert any expression you like,” Coleman said. “But those smiles are genuine.”

Want more? Cady Coleman will be the subject of an upcoming Formidable Podcast. In the meantime, we highly suggest you check out her book, “Sharing Space: An astronauts’s guide to mission, wonder, and making change.”

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