American astronaut Sunita Williams flew back safely to earth after a nine-month stay at the ISS
GUWAHATI, March 19: Astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore safely returned to earth after spending nine months at the International Space Station as the SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship carrying them splashed down off the coast of the American state of Florida at 3:27 am IST Wednesday.
William’s safe return to earth after nine months sparked of joyous celebrations in India as well, and more particularly in Gujarat from where her father emigrated to the US.
Sunita Williams became an astronaut through a combination of military service, education, and rigorous training. Here’s a breakdown of her journey:
Who is Sunita Williams?
Sunita Williams is an US astronaut with Indian heritage. She was born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, to Deepak Pandya, an Indian-American neuroanatomist who hailed from Jhulasan in Mehsana district of Gujarat, while her mother Ursuline Bonnie Pandya is of Slovenian descent.
Education & Early Career
Sunita Williams earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987. She later obtained a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.
Military Service
She was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy in 1987. Initially trained as a helicopter pilot, she logged over 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft. She became a test pilot and eventually rose to the rank of Captain in the Navy.
NASA Selection
In June 1998, Williams was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate. She underwent intensive astronaut training, which included survival training, technical briefings, and robotics training.
Spaceflights
She first flew to space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, on December 9, 2006, and spent 192 days on the International Space Station (ISS), setting a record at the time for the longest spaceflight by a woman.
On January 31, February 4, and February 9, 2007, she completed three spacewalks from the ISS before returning to earth on June 22, 2007, at the end of the STS-117 mission.
She went back to space on July 15, 2012 on Expedition 32/33 and conducted multiple spacewalks. She became the commander of the International Space Station on September 17, 2012, becoming only the second woman to achieve the feat.
Also in September 2012, she became the first person to do a triathlon in space, which coincided with the Nautica Malibu Triathlon held in Southern California before returning to earth with fellow astronauts Yuri Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide on November 19, 2012.
In 2024, she returned to the ISS on the Boeing Crew Flight Test, the first crewed mission of the Boeing Starliner which was initially scheduled to last just eight days.
However, problems with the Boeing’s Starliner service module led NASA to leave Williams and Wilmore aboard the ISS for eight months
She finally returned to earth with the other crew members of Crew-9 after a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station, landing safely off Tallahassee, Florida’s coast in the Gulf of Mexico at 3:27 am IST Wednesday.
Personal Life
Williams has been married to Michael J. Williams and stay at suburban Houston, Texas. She practices Hinduism.
PM Narendra Modi welcomes Sunita Williams back to earth
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, hailed the safe return of astronaut Sunita Williams saying the “Crew 9 astronauts have once again shown us what perseverance truly means”.
“Welcome back, #Crew9! The Earth missed you. Theirs has been a test of grit, courage and the boundless human spirit. Sunita Williams and the #Crew9 astronauts have once again shown us what perseverance truly means. Their unwavering determination in the face of the vast unknown will forever inspire millions. Space exploration is about pushing the limits of human potential, daring to dream, and having the courage to turn those dreams into reality. Sunita Williams, a trailblazer and an icon, has exemplified this spirit throughout her career. We are incredibly proud of all those who worked tirelessly to ensure their safe return. They have demonstrated what happens when precision meets passion and technology meets tenacity,” he wrote on ‘X’.
(Data sourced from the internet)
