American astronaut
Sunita Williams (born September 19, 1965, Euclid, Ohio, U.S.) is an American astronaut who set records on her three flights to the International Space Station (ISS). In 1983 Williams entered the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. She was made an ensign in 1987 and reported for aviator training at the Naval Aviation Training Command. In July 1989 she began combat helicopter training. She flew in helicopter support squadrons during the preparations for the Persian Gulf War and the establishment of no-fly zones over Kurdish areas of Iraq, as well as in relief missions during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 in Miami. Edwin E. Aldrin (Buzz Aldrin) stands on the moon, Apollo 11 Britannica Quiz Famous Astronauts and Cosmonauts In 1993 she became a naval test pilot, and she later became a test pilot instructor, flying more than 30 different aircraft and logging more than 2,770 flight hours.
When selected for the astronaut program, she was stationed aboard the USS Saipan. Williams completed an M.S. in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne in 1995, and she entered astronaut training in 1998. She traveled to Moscow, where she received training in robotics and other ISS operational technologies while working with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) and with crews preparing for expeditions to the ISS. Sunita WilliamsSunita Williams running on a treadmill while participating in the Boston Marathon from the International Space Station, April 16, 2007. On December 9, 2006, Williams flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery on the STS-116 mission to the ISS, where she was a flight engineer for Expeditions 14 and 15.
During her stay at the space station, she made four space walks, totaling more than 29 hours outside the spacecraft, and spent a total of more than 195 days in space, both of which were records for women in space. (She held the latter record until 2015, when Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti spent more than 199 days in space.) She also participated in the Boston Marathon by running 42.2 km (26.2 miles) on the station’s treadmill. She was the second American astronaut of Indian heritage to go into space, after Kalpana Chawla, who died in the Columbia disaster. Williams landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California with the crew of STS-117 on June 22, 2007.
Sunita Williams: Expedition 32Sunita Williams taking a space walk as flight engineer of Expedition 32, September 5, 2012. Williams flew to the ISS again on July 15, 2012, as part of the crew of Soyuz TMA-05M. She was a flight engineer on Expedition 32, and on September 16 she became commander of Expedition 33. She made three more space walks, totaling more than 21 hours, retaining her space walk record with a total time outside the ISS between her two flights of more than 50 hours. She also completed a triathlon in orbit by using a treadmill, a stationary bicycle, and a weightlifting machine to simulate the swimming portion of the race. Williams returned to Earth on November 11 after nearly 127 days in space. Her two spaceflights combined lasted more than 321 days. Get Unlimited Access Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more. In 2015 Williams was selected as one of four astronauts to make the first test flights in NASA’s Commercial Crew program, in which two new private crewed spacecraft, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, would take astronauts and supplies to the ISS.
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She was chosen in 2022 for the first crewed test Starliner flight to the ISS, which launched on June 5, 2024, with Barry Wilmore as commander and Williams as pilot. Starliner docked at the ISS a day after its launch, and the flight was originally scheduled to last for about one week. However, during the flight to the ISS, five thrusters failed, and helium leaks were detected in its propulsion system. NASA delayed Starliner’s return to Earth until it was sure that the craft could reenter safely. Williams and Wilmore joined the ISS crew. NASA decided in August 2024 that, because of safety concerns, the next mission to the ISS, SpaceX Crew-9, would launch in September with two astronauts instead of four and that Williams and Wilmore would return to Earth with the Crew-9 astronauts on their Dragon spacecraft in February 2025. The Starliner returned empty in September 2024.rewrite this in new words as it is
Sunita Williams, born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, is a renowned American astronaut who set multiple records during her three missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
In 1983, Williams began her education at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. She was commissioned as an ensign in 1987 and started her aviator training at the Naval Aviation Training Command. By July 1989, she was training for combat helicopter operations. Her early flying experiences included support missions during the Persian Gulf War, enforcement of no-fly zones over Iraq’s Kurdish regions, and relief efforts during Hurricane Andrew in Miami in 1992.
In 1993, Williams became a naval test pilot and later advanced to the role of test pilot instructor, flying over 30 types of aircraft and amassing more than 2,770 flight hours. At the time of her selection for the astronaut program, she was serving aboard the USS Saipan.
Williams earned a Master of Science in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995. In 1998, she entered astronaut training and traveled to Moscow, where she received specialized training in robotics and ISS operations. She collaborated closely with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) and supported teams preparing for missions to the ISS.
On December 9, 2006, Williams embarked on her first spaceflight aboard the space shuttle Discovery for the STS-116 mission. Serving as a flight engineer for Expeditions 14 and 15 aboard the ISS, she completed four spacewalks totaling over 29 hours outside the spacecraft. Williams spent more than 195 days in space, setting records for women astronauts at the time. During this mission, she also ran the Boston Marathon from space, completing the 42.2 km (26.2 miles) race on the station’s treadmill. She returned to Earth on June 22, 2007, landing at Edwards Air Force Base with the crew of STS-117.
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In her second journey to the ISS on July 15, 2012, Williams flew as part of the crew aboard Soyuz TMA-05M. During Expedition 32, she was a flight engineer, and on September 16, 2012, she became the commander of Expedition 33. Over the course of this mission, she performed three additional spacewalks, extending her total time outside the ISS to over 50 hours. Williams also completed an in-orbit triathlon by utilizing exercise equipment aboard the ISS to simulate swimming, cycling, and running. She returned to Earth on November 11, 2012, having spent nearly 127 days in space. Across both missions, she accumulated over 321 days in space.
In 2015, Williams was among four astronauts selected to participate in NASA’s Commercial Crew program, which aimed to test two new spacecraft: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner. She was slated for the first crewed test flight of Starliner in 2022, alongside Barry Wilmore as commander. The Starliner launched on June 5, 2024, and docked at the ISS the next day. However, technical issues, including thruster failures and helium leaks, led to a delay in its return to Earth. NASA opted to extend Williams and Wilmore’s stay aboard the ISS until safety concerns were resolved.
In August 2024, NASA announced that the next mission to the ISS, SpaceX Crew-9, would launch with a reduced crew of two astronauts. Williams and Wilmore were scheduled to return to Earth aboard the Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-9 astronauts in February 2025. The Starliner returned to Earth without its crew in September 2024 due to ongoing safety issues.
Early Life and Education
Sunita Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, to Indian American neuroanatomist Deepak Pandya and Slovene American Bonnie Pandya (née Zalokar). She grew up in Falmouth, Massachusetts, as the youngest of three siblings. Her father’s ancestry traces back to Jhulasan, Gujarat, India, and her maternal great-grandmother emigrated from Slovenia to the United States. Williams graduated from Needham High School in Massachusetts in 1983, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987, and received a Master’s in Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.
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Military Career
Commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy in 1987, Williams trained as a Naval Aviator, later flying helicopters and participating in operations such as Desert Shield and Hurricane Andrew relief. She was involved in test flights of various helicopters and served as a Safety Officer at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. By 1998, she had logged over 3,000 flight hours across more than 30 aircraft types when NASA selected her for its astronaut program.
NASA Career
Williams began her astronaut training in 1998. She flew her first mission aboard STS-116 to the International Space Station (ISS) in December 2006. During this mission, she conducted multiple spacewalks, setting a record for most spacewalk time by a woman. In 2007, she became the first person to run a marathon in space, completing the Boston Marathon while aboard the ISS. She returned to space in 2012 as part of Expedition 32/33, during which she commanded the ISS and participated in a triathlon from space.
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Spacewalks and Achievements
Williams has completed seven spacewalks totaling over 50 hours, ranking her among the most experienced spacewalkers. She has also been selected as one of the first astronauts for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program aimed at resuming U.S. crewed spaceflights.
Honors and Awards
- Navy Commendation Medal
- Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
- Humanitarian Service Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- NASA Spaceflight Medal
- Medal for Merit in Space Exploration, awarded by the Government of Russia (2011)
- Padma Bhushan, conferred by the Government of India (2008)
- Honorary Doctorate, bestowed by Gujarat Technological University (2013)
- Golden Order for Merits, granted by the Government of Slovenia (2013)