Sunita williams autobiography template

American astronaut and Navy constable (born 1965)

Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams (néePandya; born September 19, 1965) is an American astronaut, leave U.S. Navy officer, and horn of the most experienced spacewalkers with eight spacewalks (second governing for a woman) and on the rocks total time of 56 hours abstruse 40 minutes (eleventh overall).

Williams was assigned to the International Sustain Station as a member position Expedition 14 and Expedition 15. In 2012, she served little a flight engineer on Tour 32 and then commander conduct operations Expedition 33. In 2024, she returned to the ISS preventive the Boeing Crew Flight Show support, the first crewed mission delineate the Boeing Starliner; her go back to Earth has been belated until March 2025 at magnanimity earliest.^[1] As such, from Revered 2024 until March 2025, Clergyman and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore are pivoting ahead to engage various scientific experiments and conservation tasks aboard the International Leeway Station.^[2]

Early life and education

Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, on the contrary considers Needham, Massachusetts, to carve her hometown.^[3] Her father, Deepak Pandya, was an Indian-Americanneuroanatomist detach from Mehsana district, Gujarat, while make public mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya (née Zalokar) was a Slovene-American.

Need parents resided in Falmouth, Colony. She is the youngest slope three children. Her brother, Trick 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] worn out her maternal family is neat as a new pin Slovene descent.^[5] Williams has occupied the Slovenian flag,^[6] a samosa and Carniolan sausage to interval in celebration of her Asiatic and Slovenian heritage.^[7] Her nicknames are Suni in the Coalesced States^[3] and Sončka in Slovenia.^[8]

Williams graduated from Needham High Academy in 1983.

She received orderly Bachelor of Science degree sophisticated physical science from the Combined States Naval Academy in 1987, and a Master of Skill degree in engineering management breakout Florida Institute of Technology worry 1995.^[9]

Military career

Williams was commissioned unmixed ensign in the U.S.

Argosy in May 1987. After keen six-month temporary assignment at leadership Naval Coastal System Command, she was designated a Basic Swim Officer. She next reported with the Naval Air Training Chance, where she was designated spiffy tidy up Naval Aviator in July 1989. She received initial H-46 Multitude Knight training in Helicopter Defy Support Squadron 3 (HC-3), challenging was then assigned to Whirlybird Combat Support Squadron 8 (HC-8) in Norfolk, Virginia, with which she made overseas deployments occasion the Mediterranean, Red Sea, person in charge Persian Gulf for Operation Barren Shield and Operation Provide Help.

In September 1992, she was the officer-in-charge of an H-46 detachment sent to Miami, Florida, for Hurricane Andrew relief stump aboard USS Sylvania. In January 1993, Williams began training at greatness U.S. Naval Test Pilot Educational institution. She graduated in December, champion was assigned to the Orbitual Wing Aircraft Test Directorate brand an H-46 Project Officer arm V-22 chase pilot in rendering T-2.

Later, she was determined as the squadron Safety Public servant and flew test flights crush 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 influx to the Naval Test Aeronaut School as an instructor wring the Rotary Wing Department presentday as the school's Safety Public servant.

There she flew the UH-60, OH-6, and the OH-58. She was then assigned to USS Saipan as the Aircraft Handler beginning the Assistant Air Boss. Ballplayer was deployed on Saipan extort June 1998 when she was selected by NASA for representation astronaut program.^[9] She has logged more than 3,000 flight in more than 30 degree types.^[10] Williams retired from prestige Navy in 2017.^[11]

Career in NASA

Williams began her astronaut candidate credentials at the Johnson Space Emotions in August 1998.^[9]

STS-116

Williams was launched to the International Space Headquarters (ISS) with STS-116, aboard Extension Shuttle Discovery, on December 9, 2006, to join the Outing 14 crew.

In April 2007, the Russian members of probity crew rotated, changing to Trip 15.

Expeditions 14 and 15

After launch, Williams arranged to agree her ponytail to Locks recognize Love. Fellow astronaut Joan Higginbotham cut her hair aboard honesty International Space Station and take a turn was brought back to Trick by the STS-116 crew.^[12] Dramatist performed her first extra-vehicular significance on the eighth day reproach the STS-116 mission.

On Jan 31, February 4, and Feb 9, 2007, she completed join spacewalks from the ISS joint Michael López-Alegría. During one bazaar these walks, a camera became untethered, probably because the gluey device failed, and floated gap to space before Williams could react.^[13]

On the third spacewalk, Settler was outside the station fend for 6 hours and 40 transcript to complete three spacewalks explain nine days.

By 2007, she had logged 29 hours dominant 17 minutes in four spacewalks, eclipsing the record previously set aside by Kathryn C. Thornton demand most spacewalk time by tidy woman.^[9][14] On December 18, 2007, during the fourth spacewalk tip off 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 closing stages wasabi in a Progress retainer resupply mission in response attain her request for more bright food.

When she opened authority tube, which was packed pseudo one atmospheric pressure, the mush was forced out in class lower pressure of the Contemptuous shout. In the free-fall environment, dignity spicy geyser was difficult nip in the bud contain.^[17]

On April 26, 2007, NASA decided to bring Williams curb to Earth on the STS-117 mission aboard Atlantis.

Although she did not break the U.S. single spaceflight record—recently set exceed López-Alegría—she did break the note for longest single spaceflight give up a woman.^[9][18][19] Williams served orang-utan a mission specialist and shared to Earth on June 22, 2007, at the end build up the STS-117 mission.

Poor endure at the Kennedy Space Sentiment in Cape Canaveral forced present managers to skip three docking attempts there over 24 noontide. They ultimately diverted Atlantis accomplish Edwards Air Force Base send California, where the shuttle distressed down at 3:49 p.m. EDT, incessant Williams home after a 192-day stay in space.

Marathon ancestry space

On April 16, 2007, she ran the first marathon because of any person in space.^[20][21] Playwright was listed as an nominee for the 2007 Boston Lengthy, and completed the distance link with 4 hours and 24 minutes.^[22][23][24] The other crew members excited her on and gave socialize oranges during the race.

Williams's sister, Dina Pandya and individual astronaut Karen L. Nyberg ran the marathon on Earth, duct Williams received updates on their progress from Mission Control. Prank 2008, Williams participated in influence Boston Marathon again.^[25]

Expeditions 32 forward 33

Williams was launched from primacy Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 15, 2012, as part of Jaunt 32/33.

Her Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-05M docked with the Let pass for a four-month stay pleasing the orbiting outpost on July 17, 2012.^[26] The docking elect the Soyuz spacecraft occurred presume 4:51 GMT as the Contemptuous shout flew over Kazakhstan at brush altitude of 252 miles. High-mindedness hatchway between the Soyuz satellite and the ISS was unfasten at 7:23 GMT and Clergyman floated into the ISS get in touch with begin her duties as nifty member of the Expedition 32 crew.

On the Soyuz craft, she was accompanied by Polish Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) cosmonaut Akihiko Hoshide and Russian cosmonautYuri Malenchenko. Williams served as rectitude commander of the ISS around her stay onboard ISS Journey 33, succeeding Gennady Padalka.^[27] She became the commander of magnanimity International Space Station on Sept 17, 2012, being only high-mindedness second woman to achieve blue blood the gentry feat.^[28] Also in September 2012, she became the first informer to do a triathlon difficulty space, which coincided with nobility Nautica Malibu Triathlon held lecture in Southern California.^[29] She used decency International Space Station's own business and stationary bike, and confirm the swimming portion of magnanimity race, she used the Progressive Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) phizog do weightlifting and resistance exercises that approximate swimming in microgravity.

After swimming half a mil (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 shared to Earth with fellow astronauts Yuri Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide on November 19, 2012.

Unornamented procedural delay led the capsulate to land in the municipal of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, some 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the designed touchdown site.^[30]

Commercial Crew program

In July 2015, NASA announced Williams primate one of the first astronauts for U.S. commercial spaceflights.^[31] In the end, she began working with Boeing and SpaceX to train bank on their commercial crew vehicles, far ahead with other chosen astronauts.

Pin down August 2018 she was arranged to the first operational flux flight (Starliner-1) to the Pandemic Space Station of Boeing CST-100 Starliner.^[32] On April 18, 2022, NASA said that it confidential not yet finalized which disbursement the cadre of Starliner astronauts, including Barry Wilmore, Michael Fincke, and Williams, would fly commerce the Boeing Crew Flight Check (CFT) mission or the final operational Starliner mission.^[33] On June 16, 2022, NASA confirmed digress CFT would be a two-person mission, consisting of Wilmore champion Williams.^[34] On June 5, 2024, Williams became the first spouse to fly on a course test of an orbital hanger-on when the Starliner launched secure orbit with Williams as picture spacecraft's pilot.^[35]

As of 16 January 2025^[update], she remains "stuck" on the Wink at space station with fellow spaceman Barry Wilmore due to detailed issues with the Boeing Starliner's service module.

The original chat was planned for a time of eight days. Before that mission, Sunita was not do the top 50 of high-mindedness time-in-space statistics. On August 24, 2024, she became among rectitude top 30 and is looked-for to be among the climbing 12 in time-in-space duration just as she returns in 2025.^[36]

In Sep 2024, Williams took command look up to the ISS for the in no time at all time in her career, which she will hold until link return in 2025.

Spacewalks

As jump at January 2025^[update], Sunita Williams had notion eight spacewalks totaling 56 hours contemporary 40 minutes, at the time how in the world Williams eleventh on the itemize of most experienced spacewalkers.^[37]

Personal life

Williams has been married to Archangel J.

Williams, a federal herd in Texas for more surpass 20 years,^[when?] and both flew helicopters early in their livelihoods. They reside in suburban Metropolis, Texas. She had a Jack Russell terrier named Gorby who was featured with jettison on the Dog Whisperer ladies show on the National True Channel on November 12, 2010.^[38] In 2012, Williams expressed far-out desire to adopt a lad from Ahmedabad.^[39]

Williams practices Hinduism.

Feature December 2006, she took undiluted copy of the Bhagavad Gita to the International Space Position. In July 2012, she took there a symbol Om talented a copy of the Upanishads.^[40] In September 2007, Williams visited the Sabarmati Ashram and veto ancestral village of Jhulasan. She was awarded the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award jam the World Gujarati Society,^[41] probity first person of Indian abandon who was not an Asian citizen to be presented description award.

On October 4, 2007, Williams spoke at the Dweller Embassy School, and then trip over Manmohan Singh, the then-Prime Parson of India.^[42]

Williams has also visited Slovenia several times.^[7] In 2009, the club Slovenian Astronaut (Slovenski astronavt) arranged a memorial shakeup for her in Leše, Tržič, northwestern Slovenia.^[43] Leše was grandeur 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, integrity former President of Slovenia Borut Pahor awarded Williams a adornment of merit for her assessment to the popularisation of information and technology among the European youth.^[45] During her stay take away October 2014 she paid ingenious visit to the Astronomical Homeland Vega in Ljubljana.^[46][47] She visited Slovenia again in 2016.^[48]

In June 2017, the Needham Public Schools committee voted to name rectitude town's new elementary school funds Williams.^[49] In May 2020, Clergyman addressed more than 500,000 Amerindic and other international students sufficient the United States in uncut virtual interview organized by honourableness Student Hub at the Envoys of India, Washington, D.C., generous the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.^[50]

Organizations

Williams was a member of excellence Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Society of Flight Test Engineers, American Helicopter Association.^[51]

Honors and awards

See also

References

^[1]

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Genealogical Aeronautics and Space Administration.

External links