Washington: Sunita Williams, an Indian-origin astronaut, and her fellow NASA colleague Butch Wilmore, who are now stuck on the International Space Station (ISS), shared their excitement on Saturday about voting in the 2024 US presidential election from space.
Despite being in orbit, both astronauts underlined their civic duties’ importance.
Williams mentioned they had already sent down their requests for ballots, adding, “Looking forward to voting from space, which is pretty cool.”
Wilmore also stressed their responsibility as “American citizens,” noting that “NASA makes it very easy for us to do that.”
The 2024 US elections, set for November 5, will feature Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
Despite their extended stay aboard the International Space Station, Williams and Wilmore are eager to participate in the democratic process.
On June 5, two astronauts launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner for the spacecraft’s maiden crewed mission.
Originally scheduled for an eight-day trip, their stay has been extended to eight months due to technical challenges with the Starliner, which recently returned to Earth without them.
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In response to being stuck in space, the Indian-origin astronaut said in a video press conference, “That’s how things go in this business.”
She added that the transition to station life was “not that hard” since both astronauts had prior experience on the ISS.
Reflecting on her extended mission, Williams shared, “This is my happy place. I love being up here in space.”
While she and Wilmore had hoped to complete the Starliner mission and return home, Williams remarked, “We wanted to take Starliner to completion and land back on land at home, but you know, you have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity.”
Both astronauts remain upbeat as they await their return, continuing their scientific research and preparing to vote in the 2024 presidential election from space.
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–IANS
