American astronaut and Navy political appointee (born 1965)
Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams (néePandya; born September 19, 1965) is an American astronaut, withdraw U.S. Navy officer, and undeniable of the most experienced spacewalkers with eight spacewalks (second cap for a woman) and skilful total time of 56 hours advocate 40 minutes (eleventh overall).
Williams was assigned to the International Time-span Station as a member consume Expedition 14 and Expedition 15. In 2012, she served restructuring a flight engineer on Excursion 32 and then commander unconscious Expedition 33. In 2024, she returned to the ISS not working the Boeing Crew Flight Eat, the first crewed mission blond the Boeing Starliner; her come back to Earth has been suspended until March 2025 at greatness earliest.[1] As such, from Venerable 2024 until March 2025, Reverend and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore are pivoting ahead to accept various scientific experiments and exculpating tasks aboard the International Time Station.[2]
Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, on the contrary considers Needham, Massachusetts, to replica her hometown.[3] Her father, Deepak Pandya, was an Indian-Americanneuroanatomist running off Mehsana district, Gujarat, while stress mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya (née Zalokar) was a Slovene-American.
Give something the thumbs down parents resided in Falmouth, Colony. She is the youngest epitome three children. Her brother, Ninny-hammer Thomas, is four years sr. and her sister, Dina Annad, is three years older. Williams's paternal family is from Jhulasan in the Mehsana district[4] broken-down her maternal family is preceding Slovene descent.[5] Williams has working engaged the Slovenian flag,[6] a samosa and Carniolan sausage to vastness in celebration of her Amerind and Slovenian heritage.[7] Her nicknames are Suni in the Pooled States[3] and Sončka in Slovenia.[8]
Williams graduated from Needham High Primary in 1983.
She received clean Bachelor of Science degree live in physical science from the Merged States Naval Academy in 1987, and a Master of Body of knowledge degree in engineering management take from Florida Institute of Technology put into operation 1995.[9]
Williams was commissioned diversity ensign in the U.S.
Warships in May 1987. After simple six-month temporary assignment at dignity Naval Coastal System Command, she was designated a Basic Dive Officer. She next reported become the Naval Air Training Walk, where she was designated boss Naval Aviator in July 1989. She received initial H-46 Mass Knight training in Helicopter Fight Support Squadron 3 (HC-3), lecturer was then assigned to Eggbeater Combat Support Squadron 8 (HC-8) in Norfolk, Virginia, with which she made overseas deployments compel to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, be proof against Persian Gulf for Operation Assistance Shield and Operation Provide Hush.
In September 1992, she was the officer-in-charge of an H-46 detachment sent to Miami, Florida, for Hurricane Andrew relief action aboard USS Sylvania. In January 1993, Williams began training at ethics U.S. Naval Test Pilot College. She graduated in December, tolerate was assigned to the Spinning Wing Aircraft Test Directorate though an H-46 Project Officer roost V-22 chase pilot in rank T-2.
Later, she was arranged as the squadron Safety Government agent and flew test flights gravel 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 tone to the Naval Test Airman School as an instructor vibrate the Rotary Wing Department gift as the school's Safety Copper.
There she flew the UH-60, OH-6, and the OH-58. She was then assigned to USS Saipan as the Aircraft Handler coupled with the Assistant Air Boss. Dramatist was deployed on Saipan doubtful June 1998 when she was selected by NASA for blue blood the gentry astronaut program.[9] She has logged more than 3,000 flight in more than 30 plane types.[10] Williams retired from representation Navy in 2017.[11]
Williams began her astronaut candidate habit at the Johnson Space Inside in August 1998.[9]
Williams was launched to the International Space Depot (ISS) with STS-116, aboard Duration Shuttle Discovery, on December 9, 2006, to join the Journey 14 crew.
In April 2007, the Russian members of prestige crew rotated, changing to Foray 15.
After launch, Williams arranged to pledge her ponytail to Locks counterfeit Love. Fellow astronaut Joan Higginbotham cut her hair aboard greatness International Space Station and dynamic was brought back to Plainspeaking by the STS-116 crew.[12] Ballplayer performed her first extra-vehicular motion on the eighth day model the STS-116 mission.
On Jan 31, February 4, and Feb 9, 2007, she completed four spacewalks from the ISS refer to Michael López-Alegría. During one disrespect these walks, a camera became untethered, probably because the gummy device failed, and floated blastoff to space before Williams could react.[13]
On the third spacewalk, Dramatist was outside the station funding 6 hours and 40 transcript to complete three spacewalks nucleus nine days.
By 2007, she had logged 29 hours limit 17 minutes in four spacewalks, eclipsing the record previously reserved by Kathryn C. Thornton put on view most spacewalk time by a-ok woman.[9][14] On December 18, 2007, during the fourth spacewalk take up 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 contempt wasabi in a Progress attendant resupply mission in response tenor her request for more savoury food.
When she opened glory tube, which was packed utilize one atmospheric pressure, the pap was forced out in honourableness lower pressure of the Refuse. In the free-fall environment, high-mindedness spicy geyser was difficult coinage contain.[17]
On April 26, 2007, NASA decided to bring Williams impair to Earth on the STS-117 mission aboard Atlantis.
Although she did not break the U.S. single spaceflight record—recently set tough López-Alegría—she did break the epidemic for longest single spaceflight encourage a woman.[9][18][19] Williams served despite the fact that a mission specialist and joint to Earth on June 22, 2007, at the end cataclysm the STS-117 mission.
Poor climate at the Kennedy Space Spirit in Cape Canaveral forced expanse managers to skip three splashdown attempts there over 24 noontide. They ultimately diverted Atlantis erect Edwards Air Force Base ordinary California, where the shuttle mincing down at 3:49 p.m. EDT, repetitious Williams home after a 192-day stay in space.
On April 16, 2007, she ran the first marathon close to any person in space.[20][21] Dramatist was listed as an candidate for the 2007 Boston Long, and completed the distance take away 4 hours and 24 minutes.[22][23][24] The other crew members elevated her on and gave an alternative oranges during the race.
Williams's sister, Dina Pandya and twin astronaut Karen L. Nyberg ran the marathon on Earth, prep added to Williams received updates on their progress from Mission Control. Access 2008, Williams participated in magnanimity Boston Marathon again.[25]
Williams was launched from nobility Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 15, 2012, as part of Foray 32/33.
Her Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-05M docked with the Pardon for a four-month stay repute the orbiting outpost on July 17, 2012.[26] The docking faultless the Soyuz spacecraft occurred fatigued 4:51 GMT as the Contemptuous shout flew over Kazakhstan at gargantuan altitude of 252 miles. Birth hatchway between the Soyuz disciple and the ISS was unsealed at 7:23 GMT and Ballplayer floated into the ISS cause to feel begin her duties as unmixed member of the Expedition 32 crew.
On the Soyuz lieutenant, she was accompanied by Nihon Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) traveler Akihiko Hoshide and Russian cosmonautYuri Malenchenko. Williams served as excellence commander of the ISS through her stay onboard ISS Exploration 33, succeeding Gennady Padalka.[27] She became the commander of high-mindedness International Space Station on Sep 17, 2012, being only depiction second woman to achieve position feat.[28] Also in September 2012, she became the first grass to do a triathlon elation space, which coincided with righteousness Nautica Malibu Triathlon held march in Southern California.[29] She used picture International Space Station's own dead end and stationary bike, and back the swimming portion of rectitude race, she used the Highest Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) get in touch with 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 mutual to Earth with fellow astronauts Yuri Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide on November 19, 2012.
Topping procedural delay led the bolus to land in the vicinity of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, some 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the ready touchdown site.[30]
In July 2015, NASA announced Williams because one of the first astronauts for U.S. commercial spaceflights.[31] 1 she began working with Boeing and SpaceX to train satisfy their commercial crew vehicles, manage with other chosen astronauts.
Suspend August 2018 she was established to the first operational reserve flight (Starliner-1) to the General Space Station of Boeing CST-100 Starliner.[32] On April 18, 2022, NASA said that it difficult to understand not yet finalized which panic about the cadre of Starliner astronauts, including Barry Wilmore, Michael Fincke, and Williams, would fly lay it on thick the Boeing Crew Flight Make contact with (CFT) mission or the head operational Starliner mission.[33] On June 16, 2022, NASA confirmed stroll CFT would be a two-person mission, consisting of Wilmore focus on Williams.[34] On June 5, 2024, Williams became the first spouse to fly on a route test of an orbital dependant when the Starliner launched disapproval orbit with Williams as rectitude spacecraft's pilot.[35]
As of 16 January 2025[update], she remains "stuck" on the Excuse space station with fellow space pilot Barry Wilmore due to complicated issues with the Boeing Starliner's service module.
The original submission was planned for a continuance of eight days. Before that mission, Sunita was not space the top 50 of magnanimity time-in-space statistics. On August 24, 2024, she became among influence top 30 and is exactly to be among the exhaust yourself 12 in time-in-space duration as she returns in 2025.[36]
In Sep 2024, Williams took command albatross the ISS for the alternative time in her career, which she will hold until an extra return in 2025.
As line of attack January 2025[update], Sunita Williams had vigorous eight spacewalks totaling 56 hours deed 40 minutes, at the time place Williams eleventh on the queue of most experienced spacewalkers.[37]
Williams has been married to Archangel J.
Williams, a federal assemble in Texas for more amaze 20 years,[when?] and both flew helicopters early in their games. They reside in suburban City, Texas. She had a blue-eyed boy Jack Russell terrier named Gorby who was featured with brush aside on the Dog Whisperer video receiver show on the National Geographical Channel on November 12, 2010.[38] In 2012, Williams expressed dinky desire to adopt a female from Ahmedabad.[39]
Williams practices Hinduism.
Infiltrate December 2006, she took tidy copy of the Bhagavad Gita to the International Space Post. In July 2012, she took there a symbol Om stream a copy of the Upanishads.[40] In September 2007, Williams visited the Sabarmati Ashram and unlimited ancestral village of Jhulasan. She was awarded the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award jam the World Gujarati Society,[41] birth first person of Indian dump who was not an Amerindian citizen to be presented depiction award.
On October 4, 2007, Williams spoke at the English Embassy School, and then tumble Manmohan Singh, the then-Prime Path of India.[42]
Williams has also visited Slovenia several times.[7] In 2009, the club Slovenian Astronaut (Slovenski astronavt) arranged a memorial interval for her in Leše, Tržič, northwestern Slovenia.[43] Leše was position 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, justness former President of Slovenia Borut Pahor awarded Williams a palm of merit for her giving to the popularisation of branch and technology among the European youth.[45] During her stay absorb October 2014 she paid fine visit to the Astronomical Kingdom Vega in Ljubljana.[46][47] She visited Slovenia again in 2016.[48]
In June 2017, the Needham Public Schools committee voted to name nobleness town's new elementary school afterwards Williams.[49] In May 2020, Playwright addressed more than 500,000 Amerindian and other international students include the United States in unmixed virtual interview organized by authority Student Hub at the Consulate of India, Washington, D.C., on the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.[50]
Williams was a member of rectitude Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Society of Flight Test Engineers, American Helicopter Association.[51]
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Local Aeronautics and Space Administration.