Sunita Williams Recalls Her 'Super Difficult' Experience Of Being Stranded In Space For 286 Days During Expedition 72

US astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, and Butch Wilmore participated in the India-USA space collaboration event held in Washington, DC, where IAF Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla virtually joined.

Reflecting on her experience during Expedition 72, Williams stated that it was a super difficult challenge, highlighting the importance and value of teamwork, communication and mutual support.

"It is a super difficult challenge to take, but we have been super fortunate in our time to see different things.. We have only taken different experiences that you have and added them into the spacecraft you are training for..." Williams said during the event.

She further stated that the mission lasted longer than expected, giving lessons on team support and understanding the importance of communication.

"We only thought we were about to be up there for just a little time, but the biggest thing we have learnt from our expedition is the team support, and it has been our honor to even have learn a lot of things.. There was a lot of communication, which really helps the team, but one of the most important things we have learnt is that one needs to listen to each other and that teamwork is equally important," she further added.

The Expedition 72, which started with the departure of the Soyuz MS-25 in September 2024, was the 72nd long-duration mission to the International Space Station.

The mission, where Sunita Williams served as the Commander, conducted 1,000 hours of research on studies including those of human health, materials science, biology and fire safety.

Their work also included the enhancement of the metal 3D printing capabilities in orbit, preparing the first wooden satellite for deployment, among other tasks.

The Expedition 72 crew also included cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Aleksey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner.

NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, reentered Earth's atmosphere and breathed air for the first time in over nine months on March 18, following the successful splashdown of SpaceX's Dragon capsule at 5:57 p.m. EDT.

After their return, Wilmore and Williams began physical therapy at the Johnson Space Center to help their bodies readjust to Earth's gravity. The therapy is a standard procedure for astronauts returning from space.

Also Read: Shubhanshu Shukla's Captivating Video: Sipping Coffee In Microgravity Reveals How Astronauts Eat And Drink On The ISS