NASA astronaut Sunita Williams set to celebrate birthday in space for the second time | – Times of India

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, presently aboard the Worldwide Area Station (ISS) with fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore since June 6, is ready to have fun her 59th birthday in area on September 19. Attributable to ongoing technical points with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, this can mark the second time Williams has celebrated her birthday in orbit.

Sunita Williams: Background and schooling

Sunita Williams was born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, to Dr.Deepak and Bonnie Pandya. She accomplished her highschool schooling at Needham Excessive Faculty in Massachusetts in 1983. Williams went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Bodily Science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987, adopted by a Grasp of Science in Engineering Administration from the Florida Institute of Expertise in 1995.

Sunita Williams’ historic area missions: From key analysis roles to celebrating her first area birthday

Williams launched into her first prolonged spaceflight throughout Expedition 14/15 from December 9, 2006, to June 22, 2007. As a Flight Engineer for Expedition 14, she performed a vital position in scientific analysis and upkeep aboard the ISS.
Her second prolonged mission was throughout Expedition 32/33, which befell from July 14 to November 18, 2012. Throughout this mission, Williams performed quite a few scientific experiments and exploration actions. It was additionally throughout this era that she first celebrated her birthday in area. On one notable event, she introduced alongside a replica of the Bhagavad Gita, samosas, and a determine of Lord Ganesha.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore: Upcoming return and spaceflight length

Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Crew capsule. This mission will lengthen Williams’ time in area to a complete of 8 months. Up to now, she has accrued 322 days in area. The just lately returned Boeing Starliner spacecraft didn’t carry any astronauts and was despatched again to Earth empty.

Emergency return plan

In case of an emergency, NASA has ready contingency plans. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft supporting Crew-8 is now configured to function an emergency return car for Williams and Wilmore if crucial. This association will stay in place till the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, scheduled no sooner than September 24.
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