Stranded astronauts insist 'space is our happy place' after Starliner returns to Earth without them

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams admitted on Friday that it was tough to watch their Boeing capsule return to Earth without them .

They made these comments publicly for the first time since last week's return of the Boeing Starliner capsule that transported them to the International Space Station in June. They were left behind after NASA concluded that the problem-ridden capsule was too risky for them to travel back in.

"That's how it goes in this business," Williams said. "You have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity."

• NASA reveals source of mystery noises reported by stranded astronauts after pulsing on spacecraft
• NASA cuts 2 from next SpaceX flight to make room for astronauts stuck at space station

Wilmore and Williams are now fully-fledged station crew members, contributing to routine maintenance and experiments. Along with seven others on board, they welcomed a Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American earlier this week, temporarily increasing the station population to 12, close to a record.

The transition to station life was "not that hard" as both had previous stints there, Williams said, who is set to take over as station commander soon.

"This is my happy place. I love being up here in space," she said.

The two Starliner test pilots - both retired Navy captains and veteran NASA astronauts - will remain at the orbiting laboratory until late February. They must wait for a SpaceX capsule to bring them back.

That spacecraft is scheduled to launch later this month with a reduced crew of two, leaving two empty seats for Wilmore and Williams for the return journey.

The pair expressed their gratitude for all the prayers and well wishes they received from strangers back home. Wilmore admitted he will miss out on family milestones, such as his youngest daughter's final year of high school.

Their journey in the Starliner capsule marked Boeing's first spaceflight with astronauts onboard. The capsule experienced a series of thruster failures and helium leaks before finally docking at the space station on June 6.

It made a safe landing in the New Mexico desert earlier this month, but the future of Boeing in NASA's commercial crew program is still unclear.

• NASA record-holder who spent 371 days in space sends inspirational message to stranded colleagues
• Stranded Starliner astronaut’s mom breaks silence as she is stuck in space until 2025

NASA contracted SpaceX and Boeing to provide an orbital taxi service about ten years ago after the retirement of the shuttles. SpaceX has been successfully transporting astronauts since 2020.