The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): Astronaut Sunita Williams is ready to embark on her third spaceflight on Tuesday as the pilot of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, marking its inaugural crewed test flight to the International Space Station. She will join astronaut Butch Wilmore for a significant mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Scheduled for a 22:34 local time lift-off on Monday (8:04 am IST Tuesday), Starliner will mark a long-awaited achievement for Boeing’s space program.
The Starliner spacecraft will transport Williams, 58, and Wilmore to the International Space Station. This mission is critical for Boeing’s success, allowing it to potentially join SpaceX as the second private company ferrying astronauts to and from the station. Williams expressed confidence and excitement, stating, “We are all here because we are ready. Our friends and family are proud we are part of the process to fix it all.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the historic nature of the mission, declaring this the “golden era of space exploration.” Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will work together to provide reliable backup options to the International Space Station. Despite development challenges and setbacks, Boeing Vice President Mark Nappi praised the team’s dedication and resilience in overcoming obstacles to reach this critical point.
Williams, an accomplished astronaut, was first selected by NASA in 1998. She previously participated in Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33, amassing 322 cumulative days in space. Her initial spaceflight was with STS-116 in December 2006, during which she set a world record for women with four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes. In 2012, she launched on Expedition 32/33 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, spending 127 days in space. Williams has since held the cumulative spacewalk record for a female astronaut, though it was later surpassed.
Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, to Indian-American neuroanatomist Deepak Pandya and Slovene-American Ursuline Bonnie Pandya. She earned her commission in the United States Navy in 1987 before obtaining a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.
With this flight, Williams joins an elite group of astronauts who have served NASA across multiple missions. Boeing’s Starliner aims to establish itself alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in securing the future of U.S. crew transport to the International Space Station.
