Sunita Williams aboard the International Space Station, conducting experiments and preparing for a historic spacewalk during one of her missions (Photo: NASA)
Sunita Williams is a NASA astronaut who made a history by spending almost two years in space on three missions. She is known for her record making spacewalks and leadership experience in the ISS her story of inspiration started with her childhood dreams far away from the stars and led her to becoming one of the most renowned women in space.
Astronaut Sunita Williams is renowned for her contributions to exploration and spaceflight. After decades of service, she has become a role model for aspiring astronauts worldwide and who have been motivated by her extensive experience on board the International Space Station.
Sunita Williams Born in Euclid, Ohio on September 19, 1965, she was raised in Needham, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of Dr. Deepak and Bonnie Pandya and lives an active personal life with her husband Michael.
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Sunita Williams after graduating from Needham High School in 1983 then she earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987. She continued her education and obtained a master’s in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995 laying a good basis for her technical career.
Sunita Williams Commissioned as an Ensign in 1987 was trained as a helicopter pilot and deployed to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Persian Gulf. She was active in rescue and relief operations and then trained at the prestigious Naval Test Pilot School flying over 30 types of aircraft and logging over 3000 hours of flight time.
NASA selected Sunita Williams in 1998 and she underwent an astronaut training program covering shuttle systems and Russian language. She worked on robotics projects and interfaced with Russian space agencies to prepare for long-duration missions and space station operation development prior to her first flight. She done physiological training and ground school to prepare for T-38 flight training. She also worked in Moscow with the Russian Space Agency on the Russian contribution to the space station and with the first Expedition Crew.
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Sunita Williams has participated in three space flights which is Expeditions 14/15 from (December 9, 2006 to June 22, 2007), 32/33 from (July 14 to November 18, 2012) and 71/72 as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9. More than 600 days in space she has performed 62 hours of spacewalks the longest time ever for a woman. She commanded an ISS expedition and participated in historic spacewalks in which critical components of the station were repaired.
Her glorious career has earned her numerous awards including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Navy Commendation Medals and Humanitarian Service Medal. These were awarded in recognition of her outstanding military service as well as her pioneering efforts in space exploration.
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