Astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been stranded in space for the past eight months, said that she has lost the capacity to do a lot of fundamental tasks, stressing that she does not even know what it's like to walk. 

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Williams, in a video conference with classmates at Needham High School in Massachusetts on Monday, said that she has been trying to remember what it's like to walk. 

Saying, "I haven't laid down", Williams said, "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.”

Also read: Trump orders Musk to bring astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore home

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She has spent around 234 days in microgravity. “You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here. We initially thought it might be around a month, but the extension turned out to be quite different,” she said. 

Williams, 59, and Barry Wilmore, 62, were supposed to spend eight days on the ISS when they embarked on their mission on June 5. However, the Boeing capsule that took them suffered technical issues. 

Also read: Watch Live | NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore step out for first spacewalk together

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The capsule then returned to Earth without the two astronauts, leaving them stuck on the ISS until at least late March. 

Days back, President Donald Trump said 'the two brave astronauts' were 'virtually abandoned by the Biden administration' and asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to 'go get' them.

'Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe,' the president said. 'Good luck Elon!!!'

Also read: 'I'm coming out': Sunita Williams conducts spacewalk after being stuck in orbit for seven months

Musk then posted and vowed to retrieve Williams and Wilmore "as soon as possible". 

Due to delays, their mission has now been extended to 10 months, with their return planned for late March or early April.

NASA had earlier determined that the duo would come home on Dragon because of lingering uncertainties surrounding Starliner.

Also read: Sunita Williams upbeat seven months into eight-day NASA space mission

NASA leadership repeatedly stressed on multiple forums that Wilmore and Williams were not “stranded,” but that the Starliner didn’t have enough assurances around it to support a crewed trip back to Earth.

(With inputs from agencies)