Indian-origin astronaut Captain Sunita Williams, who loves to eat samosas in space, is ready to fly into space once again, and this time on a brand-new spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner.
The liftoff is scheduled to take place from the Kennedy Space Center on May 7, 2024, at 8.34 8.04 am India time. She says she is a bit nervous but has no jitters about flying in a new spacecraft.
While training at the launch pad, Ms Williams said, “When I reach the International Space Station, it will be like going back home.”
Born to Dr Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya, the 59-year-old will create history by being the first woman to fly on a maiden mission of a new human-rated spacecraft.
A qualified navy test pilot, she has flown twice to space in 2006 and 2012, and according to data from NASA, “Sunita has spent a cumulative total of 322 days in space.”
Sunitha used to hold the record for maximum spacewalk time by a female astronaut as she has spent 50 hour and 40 minutes across seven spacewalks.
