NASA astronaut (ret.) Sunita Williams has opened up about the emotional realities of long-duration space missions, saying her 286-day stay in orbit didn’t leave her alone despite being away from her family and Earth.
Speaking on a podcast with entrepreneur Raj Shamani, Williams said astronauts are rarely alone in space and often develop deep bonds with their teammates. “I don’t know about the loneliness. There were always people around. Family wasn’t, but the people you end up living with in the space are like family,” she said.
Williams explained that astronauts make a conscious effort to stay in touch with loved ones back home, especially during major holidays. She remembers celebrated occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas aboard the International Space Station, when astronauts have free time to talk with family members through video calls.
Familiar traditions, she says, help maintain a sense of connection with the Earth. Astronauts even watch events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on an orbiting screen, recreating small but meaningful rituals from home.
Video calls often turn into virtual tours of the space station, giving families a glimpse of daily life in microgravity. “It’s fun to see your teammates at the table and see them greet your family,” Williams said.
According to Williams, advances in videoconferencing technology — especially after its widespread adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic — have made it easier for astronauts to stay in touch. She said she reconnected with several loved ones during her mission, including family members in India and across the United States, which helped reduce the emotional distance from home.
Williams acknowledged that moments of nostalgia arise, particularly after conversations with loved ones. “When you hang up, you wish you were out there doing these things,” she said. However, she added that the experience of being in space often puts these feelings into perspective. “Go to the window and see how beautiful it is,” she said.
Reflecting on her time in orbit, Williams said she doesn’t remember experiencing any particularly lonely nights. “Not really,” she said, adding with a smile that she missed her dogs especially when they were in space.
She also stressed the importance of mindset during long-term missions. Comparing spaceflight to past sea deployments, Williams said astronauts start each day not knowing what they might witness out the window — whether it’s a sunrise, thunderstorms or the Earth lit up at night.
That sense of wonder, she suggested, helps astronauts stay grounded even when circling hundreds of miles above the planet.
