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Sunita Williams set for third space voyage
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams to embark on a third space mission aboard Boeing Starliner spacecraft
Indian American Sunita Williams prepares for her third space voyage / Image - NASA
Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams is preparing for her third space mission as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for liftoff on May 6.
Williams will be accompanied by Butch Wilmore aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, launched by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex-41 in Florida. There are destined for the orbiting laboratory, where they will reside for approximately a week.
This mission’s objectives include comprehensive testing of the spacecraft’s functionalities, encompassing launch procedures, docking maneuvers, and a safe return to Earth in the western United States. A successful crewed flight test will pave the way for certifying Starliner and associated systems for future crewed missions to the space station.
Notably, Williams brings an esteemed record of space exploration to this mission, having been selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998. She has previously undertaken two space missions, Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33.
During Expedition 14/15 (December 2006 - June 2007), Williams established a world record for female astronauts by conducting four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes outside the ISS. In Expedition 32/33 (July - November 2012), she served as flight engineer and ISS commander, conducting three spacewalks alongside Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Williams has accrued 322 days in space across her missions, with a cumulative spacewalk time of 50 hours and 40 minutes, once a record for female astronauts.
As she prepares for her upcoming ISS mission, anticipation grows within the scientific community for the contributions she and her crew will make towards advancing human space exploration.
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