It sounds less than ideal — but as the report notes, Williams and Wilmore’s difficulties don’t end with their sleeping arrangements.

As with every ISS mission, the Starliner astronauts initially had specific jobs to do on board the station that would have eaten up their eight-day journey. As Time reports, their main priority was checking in on the Boeing capsule and making sure its communications, life support, and other essential functions were in good shape.

With that checklist done and their journey having been extended until possibly February due to Starliner’s technical issues, Wilmore and Williams have instead been assisting their fellow crew members with their tasks and experiments, including repairing a urine processing pump.

Beyond that lovely job, Wilmore and Williams were also forced to stretch their clothing rations because there’s no laundry on board the ISS. Generally speaking, astronauts pack enough clothes for the length of their journey, and with their trip home having been pushed back repeatedly, the Starliner crew had to make do until a Northrop Grumman resupply mission finally came to deliver them new clothes earlier this month.

  • I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    You are flying in space. Space. If you are in that situation, know you’ll eventually get home, but “I can’t hug my kids!” is the thought in your head, then you don’t deserve to be an astronaut. There are thousands of others who would happily take your place who don’t have some primal need to always be around their family. This isn’t a 3rd grade slumber party for fuck sakes.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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        3 months ago

        They’re up there a shorter time than deployed military personnel

        They were going to be up there for a shorter time. Now they aren’t. They planned for an eight-day trip.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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            3 months ago

            I’m not sure how their being test pilots makes it any less horrible for them to be stuck somewhere for months when it was only supposed to be eight days.

            Do test pilots not find being separated from their children as sad a thing as everyone else who has children? I am guessing, in general, test pilots want to be with their children as much as most parents do.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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                3 months ago

                Sorry… you think their kids would hate them if they turned down an eight-day trip to space that ended up lasting months?

                “I wish I spent months without my mom/dad” is generally not something kids who aren’t in abusive relationships think.

                Do you even have any kids?

      • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
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        3 months ago

        Weak and pathetic. You should be willing to throw your family in a wood chipper at a moment’s notice for a chance to space, you ingrate gravity over.

    • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      but “I can’t hug my kids!” is the thought in your head, then you don’t deserve to be an astronaut.

      Well it’s not that you wouldn’t “deserve” to be an astronaut, it’s not about entitlement. It’s that an astronaut is not the right job for you, you’d probably be happier in another role.