India (Commonwealth Union)_ Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is gearing up for her third space mission, joining Butch Wilmore on a crewed test flight conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in partnership with Boeing. Scheduled for May 6, the mission involves their launch to the International Space Station (ISS). According to reports, their journey commences from Cape Canaveral, Florida, where they will launch aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft propelled by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Upon arrival at the ISS, they are slated to dock and spend approximately a week conducting activities onboard.
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This mission holds significant importance within NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, as it marks the maiden crewed flight for the Starliner spacecraft. The primary objective is to conduct a thorough assessment of the spacecraft’s performance, from launch to docking procedures, culminating in its return to Earth in the western United States. Accordingly, a successful crewed flight test will pave the way for the final certification of Starliner and its systems for future crewed missions to the space station.
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Sunita Williams, selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998, brings a wealth of experience to this mission, having undertaken two previous space expeditions, including Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33. During Expedition 14/15, spanning from December 9, 2006, to June 22, 2007, Williams served as a flight engineer, transitioning to the Expedition 15 crew before returning to Earth with the STS-117 crew at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Throughout her tenure on the ISS, Williams achieved several milestones, including conducting four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes. However, her record for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut was later surpassed by Astronaut Peggy Whitson in 2008, who did five spacewalks.
Continuing her space endeavors, Williams also embarked on Expedition 32 and 33. Further, she pursued her space journey alongside Russian Soyuz commander Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Their mission, lasting from July 14 to November 18, 2012, involved extensive research and exploration, including three spacewalks aimed at critical repairs and maintenance tasks. With a cumulative total of 322 days spent in space over her two missions, Williams holds the record for the female astronaut with the highest cumulative spacewalk time, totalling 50 hours and 40 minutes.
Sunita Williams’ roots extend to India, where her father hails from Jhulasan in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, while her mother has Slovene-American ancestry. Born in Ohio and raised in Needham, Massachusetts, Williams pursued her education at the United States Naval Academy and later earned a Master of Science degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. Furthermore, in recognition of her achievements, Williams was honored with the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award during her visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat, India, in September 2007, becoming the first person of Indian descent, not holding Indian citizenship, to receive the prestigious accolade.
