Stranded astronauts to vote in 2024 election from space while awaiting ride home

null - NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams provided insights Friday on how their lives will be altered during the next several months in space, including how they'll cast ballots in the November election.

The pair expressed gratitude to all the well-wishers on Earth and answered questions for the first time since their Boeing Starliner spacecraft left the International Space Station without any souls on board. 

The crew originally arrived at the ISS in early June on what was expected to be a slightly more than week-long mission, but due to delays and technical issues, their excursion will likely turn into at least an eight-month deployment.

"We've been involved from the beginning through all the processes of assessing our spacecraft, Calypso," Wilmore said. "And it was trying at times. There were some tough times all the way through. Certainly, as the commander in the field of your spacecraft, you don't want to see it go off without you. But that's where we wound up."

By all accounts, the Boeing Starliner spacecraft only experienced minor issues on the return trip to Earth on Sept. 6, but it will likely take well into 2025 to determine how flightworthy the vehicle actually is and to decide on the next steps for the program.

With only one spacecraft certified to fly crews to and from the space station, Wilmore and Williams will miss birthdays, Christmas and even Election Day, but that will not stop them from participating in the federal event.

Since 1997, NASA astronauts have voted from space as the ISS orbits 250 miles above Earth’s surface. 

According to the agency, electronic ballots are beamed up to the orbiter, where astronauts fill out their ballots before they are electronically sent back to Earth and processed by the designated county clerk.

"I sent down my request for a ballot today," Wilmore said. "As a matter of fact, they should get it to us in a couple of weeks and absolutely, yes, it's a very important role that we all play as citizens to be included in those elections. And that's what makes it very easy for us to do that. So, we're excited about that opportunity."

Similar to the more than 160 million registered voters across the country, their votes must be in by the time precincts close in their registered jurisdiction.

BOEING STARLINER RETURNS HOME TO EARTH WITHOUT ASTRONAUTS, MARKING END OF TUMULTUOUS MISSION

‘Absolutely not’ disappointed by Starliner operations

The space agency is also ensuring that the astronauts get plenty of exercise and has even made the SEC Network available for weekend college football games. 

When asked if they were disappointed or let down by the operations of Boeing’s spacecraft, Wilmore responded with an emphatic "absolutely not."

"We go beyond. We do things that are out of the ordinary, and we send humans to space," Wilmore said. "And yeah, we're here today on the space station. Even today, this operation is not easy. NASA does a great job. The people at NASA do a great job of making a lot of things look easy - sending probes beyond the edge of our solar system, going and getting samples from asteroids, humans in space. And it's a very risky business, and things do not always turn out the way you want."

The earliest the astronauts will return home is in February on a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which means there are additional opportunities for delays. 

The crew that Wilmore and Williams will join is tentatively scheduled to lift off from Florida’s Space Coast later in September or possibly in October.

Originally, the SpaceX Crew-9 mission was expected to carry four astronauts to the ISS but will now have only two to make room for the stranded Boeing Starliner crew.

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