NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is one step closer to coming home after being stuck in space for the last eight months. The Needham, Massachusetts native is set to come back to Earth on Tuesday.
Here are just a few things she’s missed on Earth while she’s been at the International Space Station.
Celtics championship win – June
Williams set off for space on June 5, the night before Game 1 of the NBA finals, where the Celtics faced off against the Dallas Mavericks. She missed the team bringing home their historic 18th banner on June 17 and the subsequent parade throughout the city.
Donald Trump assassination attempt – July
The election was top of mind for many Americans in July.
There was an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump when he was shot at on July 14 at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Former President Joe Biden also officially dropped out of the presidential race on July 21 amid worries from Democrats about his age. Former Vice President Kamala Harris launched her campaign for president that same day.
The 2024 Summer Olympics were also held in Paris in July. The United States won 126 medals, 40 of which were gold. It was a historic event for female athletes, who won 67 medals, more than half of the total. Worcester native Stephen Nedoroscik also became a worldwide sensation known as the “Pommel Horse Guy” before he went on to win a bronze medal in the event.
Kamala Harris becomes Democratic nominee – August
Former Vice President Harris officially became the Democratic party nominee for president in August. She made history as the first Black woman to be nominated for president in United States history.
Joro spider comes to Boston – September
This may be one current event that Williams was happy to miss as the large Joro Spider descended on Boston.
The venomous arachnid was spotted making a nest in Beacon Hill. They are recognizable for their large four-inch legs and yellow bodies. The spiders are native to northern Japan.
Drake Maye becomes Patriots quarterback – October
The New England Patriots excited fans in October with the announcement of a new starting head quarterback, rookie Drake Maye.
In fact, Williams missed the entirety of the Patriots’ 2024-2025 season, with the team putting together another losing season. Williams missed the entire tenure of Jerod Mayo as head coach. He was fired after just one season and the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel.
Election Day 2024 – November
November was an eventful month, with the 2024 presidential election and several other Massachusetts elections being held. Mr. Trump won the Presidential election after he swept all seven swing states.
In Massachusetts, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren won re-election against Republican John Deaton.
Drone sightings – December
While Williams was orbiting space, there was buzz online about the mysterious drones in United States airspace in December. Massachusetts had multiple sightings, including those on Cape Cod and at Logan Airport, which led to two arrests.
Maine earthquake – January
Williams certainly did not feel this natural event on Earth when a 3.8-magnitude earthquake shook New England on January 27. The quake originated off the coast of York, Maine, around 10:22 a.m. and was felt across Massachusetts.
“My house shook pretty good,” said WBZ-TV anchor David Wade, who lives just west of Boston. “It went on for what felt like a good five or 10 seconds.”
UMass half-court shot – February
There was certainly a lot of snow in February that Williams did not have to shovel, but there were also some controversial moments happening on the UMass Amherst basketball court.
Noah Lee, a senior at the school from Wayland, won $10,000 from a halftime challenge where he made a half-court shot. The school then denied Lee the winnings after a replay proved that his foot was on the line. The school quickly backtracked and decided to give Lee his reward.
Astronauts stuck in space
Starliner commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Williams set off for a mission that was meant to last a little longer than a week in June. Problems occurred with the Boeing Starliner that brought them up, and NASA decided it was best for them to stay up there a bit longer.
Their replacements were originally meant to come up on the SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon to relieve them in February. However, their replacements were actually aboard the SpaceX Crew-10, which launched on Friday.
Williams spoke to WBZ-TV meteorologist Jacob Wycoff in October and said that “it wasn’t a surprise by any stretch of the imagination” that they had to stay up there longer because it was the first time they were flying the aircraft.
She also discussed the struggles of being stuck in space with Needham High School students in late January.
“I’ve been up here long enough right now I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk. I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down. I haven’t laid down. You don’t have to. You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here,” Williams said.
NASA astronauts Williams, Wilmore, Nick Hague as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are scheduled to splash down off Florida’s coast on Tuesday just before 6 p.m.
