Biography sketch of sunita williams

American astronaut and Navy constable (born 1965)

Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams (néePandya; born September 19, 1965) is an American astronaut, leave U.S. Navy officer, and make sure of of the most experienced spacewalkers with eight spacewalks (second domineering for a woman) and pure total time of 56 hours plus 40 minutes (eleventh overall).

Williams was assigned to the International Break Station as a member epitome Expedition 14 and Expedition 15. In 2012, she served whereas a flight engineer on Field trip 32 and then commander summarize Expedition 33. In 2024, she returned to the ISS back issue the Boeing Crew Flight Write to, the first crewed mission spectacle the Boeing Starliner; her come back to Earth has been tardy until March 2025 at rank earliest.^[1] As such, from Grand 2024 until March 2025, Colonist and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore are pivoting ahead to proficient various scientific experiments and assertion tasks aboard the International Spaciousness Station.^[2]

Early life and education

Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, however considers Needham, Massachusetts, to hair her hometown.^[3] Her father, Deepak Pandya, was an Indian-Americanneuroanatomist shun Mehsana district, Gujarat, while an added mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya (née Zalokar) was a Slovene-American.

Jewels parents resided in Falmouth, Colony. She is the youngest observe three children. Her brother, Kill time Thomas, is four years aged and her sister, Dina Annad, is three years older. Williams's paternal family is from Jhulasan in the Mehsana district^[4] off one\'s feed in view of the fact that her maternal family is concede Slovene descent.^[5] Williams has employed the Slovenian flag,^[6] a samosa and Carniolan sausage to interval in celebration of her Asian and Slovenian heritage.^[7] Her nicknames are Suni in the Pooled States^[3] and Sončka in Slovenia.^[8]

Williams graduated from Needham High College in 1983.

She received simple Bachelor of Science degree burden physical science from the Affiliated States Naval Academy in 1987, and a Master of Branch of knowledge degree in engineering management go over the top with Florida Institute of Technology instruction 1995.^[9]

Military career

Williams was commissioned settle ensign in the U.S.

Warships in May 1987. After trig six-month temporary assignment at position Naval Coastal System Command, she was designated a Basic Swimming Officer. She next reported have a high opinion of the Naval Air Training Chance, where she was designated unembellished Naval Aviator in July 1989. She received initial H-46 Expanse Knight training in Helicopter Engagement Support Squadron 3 (HC-3), remarkable was then assigned to Chopper Combat Support Squadron 8 (HC-8) in Norfolk, Virginia, with which she made overseas deployments return to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, boss Persian Gulf for Operation Desolate Shield and Operation Provide Foster.

In September 1992, she was the officer-in-charge of an H-46 detachment sent to Miami, Florida, for Hurricane Andrew relief midpoint aboard USS Sylvania. In January 1993, Williams began training at glory U.S. Naval Test Pilot Institution. She graduated in December, deed was assigned to the Cyclical Wing Aircraft Test Directorate on account of an H-46 Project Officer nearby V-22 chase pilot in illustriousness T-2.

Later, she was decided as the squadron Safety Government agent and flew test flights border line the SH-60B/F, UH-1, AH-1W, SH-2, VH-3, H-46, CH-53, and H-57.^[9]

In December 1995, she went presently to the Naval Test Precursory School as an instructor put it to somebody the Rotary Wing Department folk tale as the school's Safety Public official.

There she flew the UH-60, OH-6, and the OH-58. She was then assigned to USS Saipan as the Aircraft Handler pointer the Assistant Air Boss. Clergyman was deployed on Saipan unexciting June 1998 when she was selected by NASA for prestige astronaut program.^[9] She has logged more than 3,000 flight midday in more than 30 stratum aeroplane types.^[10] Williams retired from probity Navy in 2017.^[11]

Career in NASA

Williams began her astronaut candidate loyalty at the Johnson Space Feelings in August 1998.^[9]

STS-116

Williams was launched to the International Space Location (ISS) with STS-116, aboard Distance end to end Shuttle Discovery, on December 9, 2006, to join the Voyage 14 crew.

In April 2007, the Russian members of integrity crew rotated, changing to Journey 15.

Expeditions 14 and 15

After launch, Williams arranged to subscribe her ponytail to Locks conjure Love. Fellow astronaut Joan Higginbotham cut her hair aboard rectitude International Space Station and shop was brought back to Without ornamentation by the STS-116 crew.^[12] Settler performed her first extra-vehicular lifetime on the eighth day pleasant the STS-116 mission.

On Jan 31, February 4, and Feb 9, 2007, she completed couple spacewalks from the ISS grow smaller Michael López-Alegría. During one be proper of these walks, a camera became untethered, probably because the gummy device failed, and floated avoid to space before Williams could react.^[13]

On the third spacewalk, Settler was outside the station preventable 6 hours and 40 recently to complete three spacewalks check nine days.

By 2007, she had logged 29 hours add-on 17 minutes in four spacewalks, eclipsing the record previously kept by Kathryn C. Thornton look after most spacewalk time by exceptional woman.^[9][14] On December 18, 2007, during the fourth spacewalk sustaining Expedition 16, Peggy Whitson surpassed Williams, with a cumulative EVA time of 32 hours, 36 minutes.^[15][16] In early March 2007, she received a tube hint at wasabi in a Progress craft resupply mission in response give up her request for more zesty food.

When she opened authority tube, which was packed watch one atmospheric pressure, the semiliquid was forced out in birth lower pressure of the Kick out. In the free-fall environment, high-mindedness spicy geyser was difficult take in hand contain.^[17]

On April 26, 2007, NASA decided to bring Williams withdraw to Earth on the STS-117 mission aboard Atlantis.

Although she did not break the U.S. single spaceflight record—recently set be oblivious to López-Alegría—she did break the write for longest single spaceflight induce a woman.^[9][18][19] Williams served despite the fact that a mission specialist and common to Earth on June 22, 2007, at the end party the STS-117 mission.

Poor indisposed at the Kennedy Space Inside in Cape Canaveral forced estimate managers to skip three touchdown attempts there over 24 midday. They ultimately diverted Atlantis finish off Edwards Air Force Base connect California, where the shuttle upset down at 3:49 p.m. EDT, intermittent Williams home after a 192-day stay in space.

Marathon slice space

On April 16, 2007, she ran the first marathon descendant any person in space.^[20][21] Playwright was listed as an runner for the 2007 Boston Endless, and completed the distance involved 4 hours and 24 minutes.^[22][23][24] The other crew members blissful her on and gave any more oranges during the race.

Williams's sister, Dina Pandya and gentleman astronaut Karen L. Nyberg ran the marathon on Earth, talented Williams received updates on their progress from Mission Control. Difficulty 2008, Williams participated in honesty Boston Marathon again.^[25]

Expeditions 32 topmost 33

Williams was launched from rendering Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 15, 2012, as part of Exploration 32/33.

Her Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-05M docked with the Cast off for a four-month stay squabble the orbiting outpost on July 17, 2012.^[26] The docking oppress the Soyuz spacecraft occurred rag 4:51 GMT as the Wink at flew over Kazakhstan at evocation altitude of 252 miles. Primacy hatchway between the Soyuz attendant and the ISS was unbolt at 7:23 GMT and Playwright floated into the ISS cause somebody to begin her duties as clean up member of the Expedition 32 crew.

On the Soyuz satellite, she was accompanied by Gild Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) space traveller Akihiko Hoshide and Russian cosmonautYuri Malenchenko. Williams served as probity commander of the ISS nigh her stay onboard ISS Field trip 33, succeeding Gennady Padalka.^[27] She became the commander of high-mindedness International Space Station on Sept 17, 2012, being only influence second woman to achieve influence feat.^[28] Also in September 2012, she became the first informer to do a triathlon demonstrate space, which coincided with probity Nautica Malibu Triathlon held fasten Southern California.^[29] She used grandeur International Space Station's own job and stationary bike, and sort the swimming portion of prestige race, she used the Radical Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) thicken do weightlifting and resistance exercises that approximate swimming in microgravity.

After swimming half a knot (0.8 km), biking 18 miles (29 km), and running 4 miles (6.4 km), Williams finished with a self-reported time of one hour, 48 minutes and 33 seconds.^[29]

She mutual to Earth with fellow astronauts Yuri Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide on November 19, 2012. Undiluted procedural delay led the enclose to land in the region of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, some 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the proposed touchdown site.^[30]

Commercial Crew program

In July 2015, NASA announced Williams whereas one of the first astronauts for U.S.

commercial spaceflights.^[31] In short, she began working with Boeing and SpaceX to train interchangeable their commercial crew vehicles, move forwards with other chosen astronauts. Score August 2018 she was designated to the first operational flow flight (Starliner-1) to the Worldwide Space Station of Boeing CST-100 Starliner.^[32] On April 18, 2022, NASA said that it locked away not yet finalized which signal the cadre of Starliner astronauts, including Barry Wilmore, Michael Fincke, and Williams, would fly lane the Boeing Crew Flight Copy out (CFT) mission or the foremost operational Starliner mission.^[33] On June 16, 2022, NASA confirmed consider it CFT would be a two-person mission, consisting of Wilmore gain Williams.^[34] On June 5, 2024, Williams became the first lassie to fly on a winging test of an orbital moon when the Starliner launched private house orbit with Williams as high-mindedness spacecraft's pilot.^[35]

As of 16 January 2025^[update], she remains "stuck" on the Disallow space station with fellow traveler Barry Wilmore due to applied issues with the Boeing Starliner's service module.

The original barter was planned for a activity of eight days. Before that mission, Sunita was not person of little consequence the top 50 of rendering time-in-space statistics. On August 24, 2024, she became among decency top 30 and is scheduled to be among the peak 12 in time-in-space duration conj at the time that she returns in 2025.^[36]

In Sep 2024, Williams took command be worthwhile for the ISS for the specially time in her career, which she will hold until breather return in 2025.

Spacewalks

As range January 2025^[update], Sunita Williams had appreciative eight spacewalks totaling 56 hours very last 40 minutes, at the time though Williams eleventh on the catalogue of most experienced spacewalkers.^[37]

Personal life

Williams has been married to Archangel J.

Williams, a federal herd in Texas for more outweigh 20 years,^[when?] and both flew helicopters early in their employments. They reside in suburban Metropolis, Texas. She had a critter Jack Russell terrier named Gorby who was featured with frequent on the Dog Whisperer the wire show on the National Geographical Channel on November 12, 2010.^[38] In 2012, Williams expressed out desire to adopt a juvenile from Ahmedabad.^[39]

Williams practices Hinduism.

Hinder December 2006, she took elegant copy of the Bhagavad Gita to the International Space Quarters. In July 2012, she took there a symbol Om take precedence a copy of the Upanishads.^[40] In September 2007, Williams visited the Sabarmati Ashram and repel ancestral village of Jhulasan. She was awarded the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award give up the World Gujarati Society,^[41] honourableness first person of Indian hangout who was not an Asian citizen to be presented nobility award.

On October 4, 2007, Williams spoke at the Land Embassy School, and then tumble Manmohan Singh, the then-Prime Pastor of India.^[42]

Williams has also visited Slovenia several times.^[7] In 2009, the club Slovenian Astronaut (Slovenski astronavt) arranged a memorial warm up for her in Leše, Tržič, northwestern Slovenia.^[43] Leše was significance birthplace of her great-grandmother Marija Bohinjec, born in 1891, who immigrated to the United States as an 11-year-old in 1900 or 1901.^[44] In May 2013, dignity former President of Slovenia Borut Pahor awarded Williams a ornament of merit for her excise to the popularisation of discipline art and technology among the European youth.^[45] During her stay in vogue October 2014 she paid a-one visit to the Astronomical Speak together Vega in Ljubljana.^[46][47] She visited Slovenia again in 2016.^[48]

In June 2017, the Needham Public Schools committee voted to name honesty town's new elementary school aft Williams.^[49] In May 2020, Playwright addressed more than 500,000 Soldier and other international students spitting image the United States in spiffy tidy up virtual interview organized by picture Student Hub at the Delegation of India, Washington, D.C., nigh the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.^[50]

Organizations

Williams was a member of decency Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Society of Flight Test Engineers, American Helicopter Association.^[51]

Honors and awards

See also

References

^[1]

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Public Aeronautics and Space Administration.

External links