The astronaut, who will take over as the commander of the International Space Station, says she is not nervous but 'psyched'. Suman Guha Mozumder reports
She is the second astronaut of Indian origin after Kalpana Chawla.
SpaceX launched a reduced two-man crew to the International Space Station on Saturday, carrying supplies and two empty seats for Starliner astronauts awaiting a return home in February after an unplanned eight-and-a-half-month stay in orbit, CBS News reported.
Williams, who had carried a packet of samosas with her when she shot into space on December 11, 2006, said she would like to have more of the spicy snacks.
Record-setting Indian-American National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut Sunita Williams along with two other cosmonauts will return to earth on Sunday, after four months in orbit.
She holds a world record for the longest space flight by a woman. But as a child, Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams never wanted to become an astronaut.
Astronaut Sunita Williams was clearly overwhelmed by the love and affection she received upon her visit to Mumbai. Prasanna D Zore reports
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams has been selected to be on the crew for one of the four new International Space Station teams.NASA and its international partners, the Russia Federal Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, have assigned these crews.Other NASA astronauts include Joe Acaba, Sunita Williams and Kevin Ford.Williams will fill in as flight engineer for Expedition 32 in May 2012, and station commander for Expedition 33.
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams set yet another record as she completed a triathlon in space by running, biking and "swimming" along with athletes during the Nautica Malibu Triathlon held in Southern California over the weekend.
Indian-American record-setting astronaut Sunita Williams along with her two colleagues on Sunday took off for her second space odyssey on a Russian Soyuz rocket, which blasted off successfully from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
"Get involved, try to be a part of it" is the message of record-breaking Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams to millions of Indians students and space enthusiasts.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch no earlier than September 24, on the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.
NASA says the Discovery shuttle will be on the most complex mission yet -- to give the International Space Station a new electricity system. The STS-116 will drop off Sunita for a six-month stay at the space lab.
Sunita Williams, who set a record for the longest stay in space by a woman, was welcomed by her father Deepak Pandya and uncle Vitthal Pandya this morning at the Sardar Patel International Airport
Williams had been to India thrice before, the last time being 2003 when she went to visit the hometown of Kalpana Chawala in Haryana along with the perished astronaut's family members.
The historic pics that Indian-American astronaut may look back on.
Williams said her long stay in space would definitely help her face the rigours of the long journey to Mars.
Hoping that NASA and ISRO will collaborate in the future, US astronaut Sunita Williams said the Indian government should accelerate its space programme as a lot of students and young people are showing interest in the field.
Modi said space exploration is about pushing the limits of human potential, daring to dream and having the courage to turn those dreams into reality.
Record-setting Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams has completed 100 days in space and is not missing gravity as she loves floating around, an experience she calls "priceless".
Indians around the world got a special Diwali message from outer space as Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams sent out warm wishes on the occasion from the International Space Station
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams has taken over the command of the International Space Station, becoming the second woman in history to do so, even as a three-member crew of the Expedition 32 returned safely to earth, wrapping up a mission lasting more than four months.
Williams, who qualified for the Boston race by finishing the Houston Marathon last year in 3 hours, 29 minutes and 57 seconds, will run the race on a station treadmill.
Sunita, along with flight engineer Kevin Ford, exercised her franchise in July while stationed in Russia even before heading up to the station aboard Soyuz ships launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome
"It is a pretty emotional event for me to stay six months in space," Williams said. NASA telecast the undocking of Atlantis from the ISS as it circled around the station to collect video and imagery of the station.
Indian-American Sunita Williams along with a fellow astronaut on Thursday ventured out of the International Space Station, adding to her record-setting space walking sojourns, to find an ammonia leak in the vital radiator system.
Indian-American Sunita Williams, a record-setting astronaut who lived and worked aboard the International Space Station for six months in 2006, is all set for her second space odyssey.
Sunita will undertake a week-long visit to the state and will be honoured with an award for her unique achievement in space travel wherein she had spent 195 days.
The power drop led to a temporary loss of ISS communications and the shutdown of heating units, some science equipment and one of three operating US gyroscopes used for attitude control.
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams displayed the tricolour on board the International Space Station and wished Indians a very happy Independence Day.
The Soyuz TMA-05M capsule, carrying Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and US astronaut Sunita Williams, parachuted through dark, cloudy skies and touched down at 7:30 am IST.
Indian-American Sunita Williams, a record-setting astronaut who lived and worked aboard the International Space Station for six months in 2006, is headed to the space once again in July.
Lit fests in India have become vibrant cultural celebrations across India, bringing together celebrated authors, emerging voices, poets, thinkers and passionate readers, many of them very young, under one lively roof.
Residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' ancestral village in Gujarat are celebrating her safe return to Earth with Diwali-like festivities. The village, Jhulasan, is alive with excitement and prayers for Williams' safe return after a nine-month stay at the International Space Station. A grand procession will be held in her honour, accompanied by prayer chanting and fireworks.
Williams will be in rehab for at least 45 days, depending on her overall health condition, after which both her parents will join her in Houston, where she has been living since 1998 after being selected as astronaut by NASA.
The Indian-American astronaut will fly the first space capsules built by private companies, SpaceX and Boeing.
Williams' father, originally from Jhulasan, migrated to the United States in 1957.
Only seven other US women and a single Russian woman have participated in the 281 spacewalks taken since 1965.
Total spacewalking time for Sunday's walk was 7 hours, 11 minutes. And, now they are all set to enjoy the spectacular Super Bowl football game between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who returned to Earth after spending 286 days in space, will not receive any overtime for their extended stay, despite their spacecraft malfunctioning. NASA rules state astronauts are treated like "any other government employee who takes a business trip." They do receive a $5 per day allowance for "incidentals", which are typically fees and tips for services like porters and hotel staff.
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