Sunita Williams the Indian-Origin Astronaut Prepares for Another Space Mission
Indian-origin astronaut Captain Sunita Williams, who loves to eat samosas in space. Is set to embark on a new mission to space onboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The launch is scheduled to take place from the Kennedy Space Center on May 7, 2024, at 8:04 am India time. Although she admits to feeling a bit nervous, Ms. Williams has no doubts about flying in a new spacecraft. During her training at the launch pad, she said. “When I reach the International Space Station, it will be like going back home.”
Born to Dr. Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya, the 59-year-old astronaut will make history as the first woman to fly on a maiden mission of a new human-rated spacecraft. She is a qualified navy test pilot and has flown to space twice before, in 2006 and 2012. According to NASA, Sunita has spent a cumulative total of 322 days in space.
Space Mission
At one point, she held the record for the maximum spacewalk time by a female astronaut, with 50 hours and 40 minutes across seven spacewalks. However, Peggy Whitson has since overtaken her record with 10 spacewalks.
Sunita Williams’ father was a neuroanatomist born in Jhulasan, Mehsana District, Gujarat. And later migrated to the USA where he married Bonnie Pandya, a Slovenian. Currently, Williams is preparing to be the pilot of the Crew Flight Test mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Which will be the first crewed flight for that vehicle. It will be her third mission aboard the International Space Station. Williams was selected to be an astronaut in 1998. After the Space Shuttle was retired in 2015, she was chosen to be part of the select group of astronauts who would fly on NASA’s commercial crew program.
Before her flight, Williams had in an interview that she will carry a statue of Lord Ganesh with her on the commercial crew flight as he is her good luck charm. She also mentioned that she was more spiritual than religious and was happy to have Lord Ganesh with her in outer space. On her earlier flights, she carried copies of the Bhagavad Gita to space. Williams is also a marathon runner and ran a marathon while at the ISS. Among her other passions, she loves samosas!
Sunita Williams the Indian-Origin Astronaut Prepares for Another Space Mission
India has its own human spaceflight program, the Gaganyaan, and the head of ISRO’s Human Space Flight Center in Bengaluru, Dr. M Mohan. Told in an interview that “Captain Sunita Williams, a veteran of space missions to the International Space Station. Is embarking on another mission on the maiden flight of the Boeing Starliner craft, which makes us all proud. I wish Ms. Williams all success on another milestone journey to space.”
India has selected four male Gaganyatris to fly into space from Sriharikota in 2026. If all goes well, they will be the first crew to launch from India.
NASA has chosen SpaceX and Boeing to develop new spacecraft for transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX has been successfully performing these missions since 2020. However, the Boeing Starliner has faced numerous delays and is set for its first crewed flight on Tuesday. Boeing has also faced many issues with its aircraft and encountered controversy.
Astronaut Sunita Williams will be flying with veteran astronaut Barry Eugene “Butch” Wilmore on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station. They will spend about a week at the orbiting laboratory before the crew capsule makes a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.
Williams had the opportunity to name the spacecraft and chose to call it “Calypso”. After the famous ship used by French oceanographer and filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Williams has a school named after her, the Sunita Williams Elementary School, and if all goes well, she will interact with students from aboard the space station.