Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Indian-origin NASA astronaut, Captain Sunita Williams, known for her love of samosas in space, is set to embark on her third space mission, this time aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
The liftoff is scheduled for May 7, 2024, from the Kennedy Space Center at 8.04 am India time. Despite some nerves, Williams expresses confidence in flying in the new spacecraft.
Williams will make history as the first woman to fly on the maiden mission of a new human-rated spacecraft. With a background as a qualified navy test pilot, she has previous spaceflight experience in 2006 and 2012.
During her space missions, Williams set records for the maximum spacewalk time by a female astronaut, totaling 50 hours and 40 minutes across seven spacewalks.
Born to Dr. Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya, Williams hails from a family with Indian roots. Her father, a neuroanatomist from Gujarat, migrated to the USA, where she was raised.
Williams, described as more spiritual than religious, plans to carry a statue of Lord Ganesh, whom she considers a good luck charm, on her spaceflight. She has also carried copies of the Bhagavad Gita on previous missions.
Williams will pilot the Crew Flight Test mission aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, contributing to NASA's commercial crew program. She has been actively involved in the spacecraft's development.
A school in the USA is named after Williams, and she plans to interact with school children from aboard the International Space Station during her mission. She named her spacecraft "Calypso" after Jacques-Yves Cousteau's famous ship.
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, designed to accommodate passengers for missions to low-Earth orbit, marks a milestone in space exploration. Williams' involvement in its development reflects her dedication to advancing space travel.