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.
They thought they were going to be there for eight days. That is what they happily accepted.
I might happily accept a vacation to Tuscany, but if I found out I couldn’t leave or see my family for months after I got there, my mind might be different on the subject. And I wouldn’t be stuck in a little space station.
Uhh… I’ve never heard a single astronaut say “I wish I’d spent less time in orbit”.
Most astronauts sign up because they want to go to space, but then they end up only spending 1-6 months in space over the entirety of their career.
Imagine you wanted to be a chef, so you went to the finest culinary schools and then eventually for a job at an acclaimed restaurant. But then you had to just peel potatoes for years, before finally they let you be a provisional chef for a week and you actually got to use the skills you trained for, but still knowing that they’ll put you back on boring prep duty at the end of the week… But then at the end of the week the head chef gets sick and he’s out for the whole month! How would that feel?
Remember, this isn’t a vacation, this is their career. This is what they want to do. And these people have the most impressive resumes you’ve ever seen in your life, no joke, reading one is intimidating. They could do just about anything they want, and they choose this.
Because there’s never been a situation like this before.
And chefs get to go home and see their kids every night.