Ammon News - The mother of a NASA astronaut stranded in space for nearly 300 days has finally broken her silence.

Bonnie Pandya admitted 'it was kind of shocking' hearing about her daughter Sunita Williams' extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS), but understood 'these things happen' when you are a top astronaut.

Panday said that despite concerns about Williams health on the ISS, her daughter is 'doing great' and feels 'honored' to spend extra time on the ISS.

'So how could I feel sad about it or anything?' Pandya told NewsNation. 'I'm happy for her.'

'I know what she does. I have three children, and they all do something different... It's just a fantastic experience for her and us because she's doing something that not many people do.'

Williams and her crewmate, Barry Wilmore, launched into space aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day stay on the ISS.

But numerous technical issues with Starliner, including thruster failures and helium leaks, have left them stuck in space stations ever since.

NASA plans to bring Williams and Wilmore home around March 19 or 20, but by then, they will have spent more than nine months in space.

Pandya told NewsNation she speaks to her daughter 'every couple days.'

'In fact, I just spoke to her this morning,' she said.

Williams told her mother she could 'hardly wait' to reunite with her family and to spend some time 'traveling around' once she finally returns to Earth.

Pandya lives in Falmouth, Massachusetts not far from the Boston suburb where she raised Williams, who now lives in Houston, Texas.

While the Starliner astronauts will not break the record for the most consecutive days spent on the ISS, nine months is an unusually long amount of time to spend in space.

A typical long-duration ISS mission lasts about six months, and studies have shown that living in this harsh environment for that long takes a toll on the human body.

Low gravity causes astronauts to lose bone and muscle, and exposure to extreme levels of space radiation may increase their risk of developing cancer later in life.

Doctors previously raised concerns that Williams' health may be deteriorating during her extended stay on the ISS, pointing to photos where she appeared 'gaunt.'

But Pandya said her daughter is happy and healthy. Daily Mail