NASA astronaut from Massachusetts talks about Boston Pops fireworks show from space

Needham native Suni Williams was supposed to have returned home from the International Space Station by now, but despite still being in orbit, the NASA astronaut made an early call to the Esplanade for July 4.

“Hi, everyone! I’m so happy to be here,” Williams said on a call with Boston Pops director Keith Lockhart. “The Fourth of July in Boston is the best place to be. It’s where it all started.”

The call came around 12:45 p.m., less than an hour after doors opened for the 50th Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

Thousands of people from near and far, dressed in American colors, arrived throughout the day, filling the oval in front of the Hatch Shell and the banks of the Charles River hours before the concert and patriotic display.

Williams called Lockhart and his five crewmates, all Americans, to the International Space Station. And even above the atmosphere, the Fourth of July had special meaning for astronauts.

“We’re having a lot of fun, we can sleep in a little bit more because it’s a holiday. We’re all Americans, so…” Williams said before the team sang “America the Beautiful.”

Williams and crewmate Butch Wilmore boarded Starliner on the ISS on Tuesday and worked with flight controllers and engineers during the spacecraft’s power-up, according to Boeing.

This week marks the fourth time Williams and Wilmore have been in orbit. On June 5, the two blasted off to test drive Boeing’s new capsule, and at the time, they were hoping to return home from the ISS in about a week.

But along the way, equipment problems and helium leaks arose, leading to the cancellation of three potential landing dates and the suspension of the return flight.

“I want to make it very clear that Butch and Suni are not stranded in space,” NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said last week.

Williams and Wilmore will be able to remain docked on the ISS until the end of July, while Boeing continues testing the Starliner.

Despite what could be an awkward situation, Williams and her crewmates were in good spirits Thursday, and the Needham native was looking forward to finding out if she could see the fireworks from space.

“This is my first Fourth of July in space, so I’m excited to stay up a little longer, take a nap… and try to see them.”

A crewmate added: “Everything looks like fireworks when you’re up here.”

Lockhart, speaking to reporters, said that conducting the Boston Pops on July 4 was “a great responsibility and a great honor.” This is his 29th year at the helm of the show.

Although Lockhart said he has sought to “keep traditions alive,” such as Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, the concert undergoes slight modifications each year.

“We’re trying to make it a reflection of America in some ways,” he said, “which is hard this year because America is in a very strange place… But we’re trying to keep it light and hopeful and look for common ground, which is what this day is all about.”

Lou Spelios arrived at 3 a.m., nine hours before the doors opened at noon, a tradition for the Back Bay resident. After reading about the annual celebration and watching it on television since his childhood, he learned that you have to show up before dawn to get a seat close by.

“I love this concert,” Spelios told the Herald. “I love what it represents: choice and our ability to function independently. That’s what we celebrate, just being able to control our own destiny.”

After wet and wild weather disrupted festivities for several hours before skies cleared last year, Thursday saw similarly humid conditions with oppressive humidity.

Chile native Camilla Erices and her boyfriend Adam Provost, of Springfield, stepped out for their first Fourth of July on the Esplanade.