Indian-Origin Astronaut Sunita Williams Set To Make History Again: First Woman On Maiden Flight Of Boeing Starliner Spacecraft

Indian-origin astronaut Captain Sunita Williams is set to embark on a new space journey aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The liftoff is scheduled from the Kennedy Space Center on 7 May 2024, at 8:04 am IST.

Despite feeling a bit nervous, she is confident about flying in this new spacecraft, stating that reaching the International Space Station will feel 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 the maiden mission of a new human-rated spacecraft.

A qualified navy test pilot, she has previously flown to space in 2006 and 2012, accumulating a total of 322 days in space, according to NASA.

At one time, she held the record for the most spacewalk time by a female astronaut, with 50 hours and 40 minutes across seven spacewalks. Although this record has since been surpassed, her achievements remain notable.

Currently, Sunita Williams is preparing to pilot the Crew Flight Test mission aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, marking her third mission to the International Space Station.

She became an astronaut in 1998 and was later selected to be part of the select group of astronauts for NASA's commercial crew programme after the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2015.

She described herself as more spiritual than religious and expressed joy at having Lord Ganesh accompany her into outer space. She has also carried copies of the Bhagavad Gita on her earlier flights and shared her love for samosas. Beyond her space endeavours, she is also a passionate marathon runner and even ran a marathon while aboard the ISS.

However, Sunita Williams remains optimistic, stating that her days will be filled with exciting activities as she tests and certifies the new spacecraft. With Lord Ganesh by her side, she is hopeful for a successful mission.