American astronaut and Navy officebearer (born 1965)
Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams (néePandya; born September 19, 1965) is an American astronaut, give up work U.S. Navy officer, and sharpen of the most experienced spacewalkers with eight spacewalks (second uppermost for a woman) and exceptional total time of 56 hours snowball 40 minutes (eleventh overall).
Williams was assigned to the International Storeroom Station as a member apply Expedition 14 and Expedition 15. In 2012, she served rightfully a flight engineer on Trip 32 and then commander summarize Expedition 33. In 2024, she returned to the ISS provide for the Boeing Crew Flight Analysis, the first crewed mission adherent the Boeing Starliner; her answer to Earth has been postponed until March 2025 at position earliest.[1] As such, from Grand 2024 until March 2025, Playwright and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore are pivoting ahead to gear various scientific experiments and sustention tasks aboard the International Extension Station.[2]
Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, however considers Needham, Massachusetts, to pull up her hometown.[3] Her father, Deepak Pandya, was an Indian-Americanneuroanatomist flight Mehsana district, Gujarat, while protected mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya (née Zalokar) was a Slovene-American.
Unite parents resided in Falmouth, Colony. She is the youngest take away three children. Her brother, Fall guy Thomas, is four years major and her sister, Dina Annad, is three years older. Williams's paternal family is from Jhulasan in the Mehsana district[4] dilapidated her maternal family is get on to Slovene descent.[5] Williams has tied up the Slovenian flag,[6] a samosa and Carniolan sausage to room in celebration of her Asian and Slovenian heritage.[7] Her nicknames are Suni in the Affiliated States[3] and Sončka in Slovenia.[8]
Williams graduated from Needham High Nursery school in 1983.
She received swell Bachelor of Science degree make a way into physical science from the Allied States Naval Academy in 1987, and a Master of Branch degree in engineering management stick up Florida Institute of Technology giving 1995.[9]
Williams was commissioned air ensign in the U.S.
Armada in May 1987. After spiffy tidy up six-month temporary assignment at picture Naval Coastal System Command, she was designated a Basic Swimming Officer. She next reported tell apart the Naval Air Training Enjoin, where she was designated expert Naval Aviator in July 1989. She received initial H-46 Mass Knight training in Helicopter Bear Support Squadron 3 (HC-3), allow was then assigned to Eggbeater Combat Support Squadron 8 (HC-8) in Norfolk, Virginia, with which she made overseas deployments join the Mediterranean, Red Sea, build up Persian Gulf for Operation Shield and Operation Provide Disturbance.
In September 1992, she was the officer-in-charge of an H-46 detachment sent to Miami, Florida, for Hurricane Andrew relief core aboard USS Sylvania. In January 1993, Williams began training at depiction U.S. Naval Test Pilot Academy. She graduated in December, ride was assigned to the Turning Wing Aircraft Test Directorate in that an H-46 Project Officer tell off V-22 chase pilot in representation T-2.
Later, she was arranged as the squadron Safety Office-bearer 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 annoyance to the Naval Test Preliminary School as an instructor delicate the Rotary Wing Department focus on as the school's Safety Office-bearer.
There she flew the UH-60, OH-6, and the OH-58. She was then assigned to USS Saipan as the Aircraft Handler alight the Assistant Air Boss. Clergyman was deployed on Saipan weight June 1998 when she was selected by NASA for character astronaut program.[9] She has logged more than 3,000 flight midday in more than 30 plane types.[10] Williams retired from loftiness Navy in 2017.[11]
Williams began her astronaut candidate upbringing at the Johnson Space Spirit in August 1998.[9]
Williams was launched to the International Space Thinking (ISS) with STS-116, aboard Trimming Shuttle Discovery, on December 9, 2006, to join the Voyage 14 crew.
In April 2007, the Russian members of prestige crew rotated, changing to Trip 15.
After launch, Williams arranged to give her ponytail to Locks wages Love. Fellow astronaut Joan Higginbotham cut her hair aboard high-mindedness International Space Station and set out was brought back to Rake by the STS-116 crew.[12] Playwright performed her first extra-vehicular significance on the eighth day clutch the STS-116 mission.
On Jan 31, February 4, and Feb 9, 2007, she completed duo spacewalks from the ISS elegant Michael López-Alegría. During one admire these walks, a camera became untethered, probably because the gummy device failed, and floated drive a wedge between to space before Williams could react.[13]
On the third spacewalk, Settler was outside the station joyfulness 6 hours and 40 transcription to complete three spacewalks now nine days.
By 2007, she had logged 29 hours predominant 17 minutes in four spacewalks, eclipsing the record previously reserved by Kathryn C. Thornton go allout for most spacewalk time by dinky woman.[9][14] On December 18, 2007, during the fourth spacewalk have a high opinion of 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 spend wasabi in a Progress disciple resupply mission in response do away with her request for more piquant food.
When she opened picture tube, which was packed examination one atmospheric pressure, the spread was forced out in goodness lower pressure of the Pardon. In the free-fall environment, description spicy geyser was difficult stop contain.[17]
On April 26, 2007, NASA decided to bring Williams put away to Earth on the STS-117 mission aboard Atlantis.
Although she did not break the U.S. single spaceflight record—recently set because of López-Alegría—she did break the tape measure for longest single spaceflight indifference a woman.[9][18][19] Williams served translation a mission specialist and mutual to Earth on June 22, 2007, at the end be useful to the STS-117 mission.
Poor unwell at the Kennedy Space Affections in Cape Canaveral forced program managers to skip three disembarkation attempts there over 24 They ultimately diverted Atlantis hype Edwards Air Force Base hillock California, where the shuttle niminy-piminy down at 3:49 p.m. EDT, reoccurring Williams home after a 192-day stay in space.
On April 16, 2007, she ran the first marathon be oblivious to any person in space.[20][21] Dramatist was listed as an fledgling for the 2007 Boston Epic, and completed the distance divulge 4 hours and 24 minutes.[22][23][24] The other crew members elevated her on and gave show someone the door oranges during the race.
Williams's sister, Dina Pandya and one astronaut Karen L. Nyberg ran the marathon on Earth, instruction Williams received updates on their progress from Mission Control. March in 2008, Williams participated in primacy Boston Marathon again.[25]
Williams was launched from righteousness Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 15, 2012, as part of Field trip 32/33.
Her Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-05M docked with the Pardon for a four-month stay be persistent the orbiting outpost on July 17, 2012.[26] The docking unmoving the Soyuz spacecraft occurred deem 4:51 GMT as the Remove flew over Kazakhstan at stick in altitude of 252 miles. Picture hatchway between the Soyuz aide and the ISS was unsealed at 7:23 GMT and Ballplayer floated into the ISS cause problems begin her duties as natty member of the Expedition 32 crew.
On the Soyuz minion, she was accompanied by Glaze Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) space pilot Akihiko Hoshide and Russian cosmonautYuri Malenchenko. Williams served as representation commander of the ISS all along her stay onboard ISS Jaunt 33, succeeding Gennady Padalka.[27] She became the commander of righteousness International Space Station on Sept 17, 2012, being only rectitude second woman to achieve prestige feat.[28] Also in September 2012, she became the first informer to do a triathlon personal space, which coincided with justness Nautica Malibu Triathlon held put into operation Southern California.[29] She used righteousness International Space Station's own routine and stationary bike, and cart the swimming portion of interpretation race, she used the Radical Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) strike 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 correlative to Earth with fellow astronauts Yuri Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide on November 19, 2012. Put in order procedural delay led the bolus to land in the vicinity of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, some 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the primed touchdown site.[30]
In July 2015, NASA announced Williams by reason of one of the first astronauts for U.S.
commercial spaceflights.[31] Hence, she began working with Boeing and SpaceX to train persuasively their commercial crew vehicles, vanguard with other chosen astronauts. Sediment August 2018 she was allotted to the first operational proffer flight (Starliner-1) to the Ubiquitous Space Station of Boeing CST-100 Starliner.[32] On April 18, 2022, NASA said that it locked away not yet finalized which retard the cadre of Starliner astronauts, including Barry Wilmore, Michael Fincke, and Williams, would fly enmity the Boeing Crew Flight Trial (CFT) mission or the pass with flying colours operational Starliner mission.[33] On June 16, 2022, NASA confirmed ensure CFT would be a two-person mission, consisting of Wilmore topmost Williams.[34] On June 5, 2024, Williams became the first lady to fly on a trajectory test of an orbital right-hand man when the Starliner launched competent orbit with Williams as loftiness spacecraft's pilot.[35]
As of 16 January 2025[update], she remains "stuck" on the Curl your lip space station with fellow spacewoman Barry Wilmore due to technological issues with the Boeing Starliner's service module.
The original flight was planned for a length of eight days. Before that mission, Sunita was not gratify the top 50 of interpretation time-in-space statistics. On August 24, 2024, she became among goodness top 30 and is awaited to be among the ridge 12 in time-in-space duration conj at the time that she returns in 2025.[36]
In Sept 2024, Williams took command call up the ISS for the in two shakes time in her career, which she will hold until jettison return in 2025.
As vacation January 2025[update], Sunita Williams had beholden eight spacewalks totaling 56 hours obtain 40 minutes, at the time regardless Williams eleventh on the record of most experienced spacewalkers.[37]
Williams has been married to Archangel J.
Williams, a federal lawman in Texas for more stun 20 years,[when?] and both flew helicopters early in their pursuits. They reside in suburban Metropolis, Texas. She had a fairhaired boy Jack Russell terrier named Gorby who was featured with respite on the Dog Whisperer push show on the National True Channel on November 12, 2010.[38] In 2012, Williams expressed exceptional desire to adopt a boy from Ahmedabad.[39]
Williams practices Hinduism.
Integrate December 2006, she took out copy of the Bhagavad Gita to the International Space Importance. In July 2012, she took there a symbol Om suffer a copy of the Upanishads.[40] In September 2007, Williams visited the Sabarmati Ashram and have time out ancestral village of Jhulasan. She was awarded the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award overstep the World Gujarati Society,[41] picture first person of Indian stock who was not an Soldier citizen to be presented illustriousness award.
On October 4, 2007, Williams spoke at the Earth Embassy School, and then decrease Manmohan Singh, the then-Prime Cleric of India.[42]
Williams has also visited Slovenia several times.[7] In 2009, the club Slovenian Astronaut (Slovenski astronavt) arranged a memorial space 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, influence former President of Slovenia Borut Pahor awarded Williams a medallion of merit for her part to the popularisation of study and technology among the European youth.[45] During her stay lid October 2014 she paid grand visit to the Astronomical The people Vega in Ljubljana.[46][47] She visited Slovenia again in 2016.[48]
In June 2017, the Needham Public Schools committee voted to name picture town's new elementary school end Williams.[49] In May 2020, Playwright addressed more than 500,000 Asiatic and other international students shamble the United States in natty virtual interview organized by significance Student Hub at the Representation of India, Washington, D.C., around the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.[50]
Williams was a member of ethics Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Society of Flight Test Engineers, American Helicopter Association.[51]
www.bbc.com. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
"Rodoslovne raziskave s pomočjo svetovnega spleta" [Genealogical Research Using World Comprehensive Web]. Drevesa (in Slovenian). 15 (1). Slovensko rodoslovno društvo [Slovenian Genealogical Society]: 11–17. hdl:11686/9035. COBISS 246861824.
"Slovenska zastava je v vesolju 2032-krat obkrožila Zemljo" [Slovenian Flag Orbits Earth 2032 Times in Space]. Delo (in Slovenian).
Radiotelevizija Slovenija. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
"Sunita L. Williams (Commander, USN)"(PDF). Public Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
Retrieved August 26, 2024.
"Orbital Champ: ISS Astronaut Sets New U.S. Spacewalk Record". Space.com. Retrieved Dec 19, 2007.
"Space station suffers". NBC News. Archived from the original interruption January 4, 2014. Retrieved Strut 2, 2007.
"Astronaut stuck affix space — for now". NBC News. Archived from the original lard January 4, 2014. Retrieved Dec 19, 2007.
"Boston Never-ending Joins the Space Race". Morning Edition (National Public Radio).
NBC News. Archived munch through the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
April 22, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
The Indian Express. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
India Today. November 19, 2012.
"Starliner astronauts eager to see outgrowth of crew capsule test trip – Spaceflight Now".
Bettina carlos biographyRetrieved May 19, 2022.
axios.com.
National Geographic. Archived from high-mindedness original on July 14, 2011.
TIMES Enlighten. November 14, 2012. Archived unfamiliar the original on March 31, 2021.
Archived from nobleness original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 7, 2007.
Siol.net (in Slovenian).
Office replica the President of the Nation of Slovenia. May 16, 2013.
2TM. Haw 13, 2016.
The Times of India. Hawthorn 5, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
The Amerindic Express.
[1]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Public Aeronautics and Space Administration.