Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams to return to space on Boeing's maiden test flight

Indian-origin astronaut Captain Sunita Williams, who enjoys eating samosas in orbit, is preparing to journey into space once more, this time on a brand-new spaceship, the Boeing Starliner. The launch is set for May 7, 2024, at 8.34 8.04 a.m. India time, from the Kennedy Space Centre.

She admits she is scared, but she is not concerned about flying in a new spaceship. While practicing on the launch pad, Williams stated, "When I reach the International Space Station, it will be like coming home."

The 59-year-old, born to Dr. Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya, will make history as the first woman to travel on the inaugural flight of a new human-rated spaceship. A certified military test pilot, she has gone to space twice, in 2006 and 2012, and according to NASA records, "Sunita has spent a cumulative total of 322 days in space."

She previously held the record for the longest spacewalk duration by a female astronaut, having spent 50 hours and 40 minutes on seven spacewalks. According to NASA, Sunita held the record for total cumulative spacewalk duration by a female astronaut while on board with seven spacewalks totaling 50 hours and 40 minutes, but she has since been surpassed by Peggy Whitson, who has ten.

The Starliner spaceship, which can transport up to seven people, is intended to be largely reusable, with the crew capsule capable of 10 flights. The vehicle's launch atop the Atlas V rocket represents a significant step forward in the development of Boeing's human spaceflight capabilities.

With the successful completion of this Crew Flight Test, the Starliner will be one step closer to joining SpaceX's Crew Dragon in regularly delivering humans to and from the International Space Station, bolstering the US's independent access to space.

• Boeing
• Indian-American
• International Space Station
• SpaceX
• Sunita Williams
• Kennedy Space Centre
• NASA