The name doesn’t need a special introduction to the world, especially Indians. Sunita Williams has been an inspiration to many women all around the world, to chase their passion and to end up doing what they really love to do.
In the wake of Williams’s 59th birthday, Bollywood’s bigwigs such as Karan Johar, Sonu Nigam, Hariharan, Neeti Mohan, and more have partnered with Saregama Official to bring out a musical birthday wish for the astronaut.
The world is no stranger to Sunita Williams’s current state – stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner that caused helium leaks and thruster faults. Along with Sunita Williams, her co-astronaut Butch Wilmore is also stuck in ISS.
A little family history
Sunita Williams was born as the daughter of Deepak Pandya, a neuroanatomist, originally from the Mehsana district in Gujarat, and Ursuline Bonnie Pandya, her Slovenian-American mother.
Williams graduated from Needham High School in 1983. She then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1987. She followed it up with a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.
Her tryst with stars begins
She took on important missions, flying during the Persian Gulf War, enforcing no-fly zones over Kurdish areas in Iraq, and helping with Hurricane Andrew relief efforts in Miami.
In June 1998, Williams was selected as a NASA astronaut. She underwent extensive training, covering shuttle systems, survival techniques, and more. After completing her training, she worked closely with the Russian Space Agency and supported the first Expedition Crew to the International Space Station (ISS).
Her first journey to space was between December 9, 2006, to June 22, 2007. She operated as a flight engineer on this journey and she made history by performing four spacewalks, setting a world record for women with a total of 29 hours and 17 minutes spent outside the spacecraft.
Her second expedition was from July 14, 2012 to November 18, 2012. During this stint, she was absorbed in exploration and research aboard the orbiting laboratory. She touched down on earth in Kazakhstan.
Her 3rd and latest expedition was on a Starliner, expected to be an 8-day long stint. It has now been extended due to helium leaks in the Starliner, which has since remained docked at the International Space Station.
Keeping up with the world around
In an exciting update, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to cast their ballots for the 2024 US presidential election from space. The race, between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, will mark yet another instance of astronauts participating in the democratic process while aboard the International Space Station, continuing NASA’s tradition of enabling space-bound voting.