Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has been stuck in space since June due to a technical fault in the spacecraft. Her 8-day journey has turned into 8 months. She is expected to return to Earth by February. Sunita Williams has gone on a space journey for the third time. Sunita Williams is celebrating her 59th birthday on September 19. This time she is celebrating her birthday in space, about 400 kilometers away from Earth. However, this is not the first time Sunita has celebrated her birthday in space. Let us know about Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, her biography, and her achievements.
Biography of Sunita Williams
Sunita Williams' father's name is Dr. Deepak Pandya and her mother's name is Bonnie Pandya. Her father was born in Jhulasan in Mehsana district of Gujarat and was a neuroanatomist by profession. However, he later moved to America and married Bonnie Pandya.
Sunita Williams was born on 19 September 1965 in Euclid, Ohio. In 1987, she received a Bachelor's degree in Physical Science from the US Naval Academy. Later she did a Master's in Engineering Management. Before joining NASA, Sunita worked in the US Navy. She had recorded more than 3000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.
Historic achievements are recorded in her name. Sunita has traveled to space twice in the years 2006 and 2012. On both these missions, Williams spent a total of 322 days in space, which is a record in itself. After this, on June 6, she flew for the third time in the Starliner spacecraft. More than three months have passed since she went to space. However, Sunita Williams, who is stuck there due to a technical fault, is expected to return by February 2025.
Achievement
Sunita Williams has been honored by the governments of many countries. The Indian government honored her with the Padma Bhushan in 2008. Russia gave her the Medal of Merit in Space Exploration. Slovenia honored her with the Golden Order of Merit. Apart from this, he also has the NASA Spaceflight Medal.
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