Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams will celebrate the Diwali festival in space after her return flight to Earth has been postponed to next year due to technical glitches with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Ahead of Diwali 2024 celebrations, the senior NASA astronaut extended her wishes for the festival on Monday.
Highlighting Diwali's significance as a “festival of joy” when “goodness in the world prevails”, Williams said, “want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating today at the White House and around the world. This year I have the unique opportunity to celebrate Diwali from 260 miles above the earth on the ISS.”
Williams also expressed gratitude to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “ Thank You to the Vice President for celebrating Diwali with our community today and for recognising the many contributions of our community.”
In her video message, Sunita Williams also shared how her father acted as a bridge between the family and India and always taught them “about Diwali and other Indian festivals.”
“I am so thankful to grow up in a multi-cultural household where our parents always encouraged us to seek opportunities and reach for the stars,” she added.
Sunita Williams was born into the family of Deepak Pandya, an Indian, and Ursuline Bonnie Pandya, who is of Slovenian-American descent.
Sunita Williams, along with Butch Wilmore, was sent on a space mission to ISS on a Beoing Starliner spacecraft to test its launch and landing capabilities earlier this year. Sunita's test flight to space faced multiple hurdles since beginning as Boeing spacecraft's launch was delayed multiple times in the first half of the year. After multiple delays, the spacecraft launched on June 5, 2024. The two NASA astronauts were supposed to stay at ISS for nearly 2-3 months, however, due to multiple technical glitches the return spaceflight of Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore has been delayed to next year.
Boeing Starliner mission is Sunita Williams' third mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). She spent a total of 322 days in space during her two missions. "With 50 hours and 40 minutes, she is second on the list of total cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut," said NASA earlier.
