NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore’s daughter, Daryn, is all set to welcome her father home after his extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). She plans to bake his favourite dessert pecan pie and has also created a list of their favourite activities to cherish his return in the coming days.
Butch Wilmore, who was originally set for an eight-day mission alongside Sunita Williams on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, ended up staying for 286 days due to technical issues. The duo safely returned on March 19 and are now undergoing a 45-day rehabilitation programme to readjust to Earth’s gravity.
Daryn Wilmore shared her excitement on TikTok on Wednesday, posting a video ahead of the splashdown. “Hi everyone, welcome to the very final installment of ‘My dad is stuck in space’ – because he’s not anymore!” she said. Her joy palpable, she added, “It’s happening, guys, it’s finally happening! I’m so happy and proud – he has done such amazing work.”
“I’m making him his favourite dessert, which is pecan pie,” she revealed. “I have a list of all his favourite things and all we used to do together to hopefully do them these next few days before I go back to school.”
Social media users have reacted to the post.
A user wrote, “Yay! so excited for you and your family. Grateful they had a safe return to earth.”
Another commented, “So happy he’s home! I know he enjoyed that pie.”
A comment read, “He must have missed you so much! You are so sweet.”
The family is looking forward to hosting a small get-together at Ms Willmore’s uncle’s home instead of a big celebration. “We might just have a little get-together with a few close friends, but no big party or anything,” she said.
Ms Willmore disclosed that her father would undergo numerous tests, adding he was “still technically part of the experiment of human space flight” and needed time to adapt to Earth after his extended stay in space.
Towards the end of the video, she said, “Hollywood, I believe a movie should happen. I believe a movie should happen. If you want to call me, I have ideas.”
“‘Apollo 13’ is a great movie. But do you know what could be even better? This movie right here,” she added.
Earlier, Daryn Wilmore said she was “mentally exhausted” over the repeated delays in her father’s return from the ISS, citing negligence as a key reason for the prolonged wait. She admitted that the situation had been difficult for their family. “It’s been hard if we’re completely honest,” she said, as per E News. The astronauts returned in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Wednesday at 3:30 am.