Sunita Lyn Williams is an American astronaut and United States Navy officer who holds the records for the longest single space flight by a woman, total spacewalks by a woman (seven), and most spacewalk time for a woman (50 hours, 40 minutes). She is also known for being the second American woman with an Indian heritage to fly to space.
Wiki/Biography
Sunita Lyn Williams was born on Sunday, 19 September 1965 (age 58 years; as of 2023) in Euclid, Ohio, United States. Her zodiac sign is Virgo. She grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, and considers it her hometown. She completed her schooling at the Needham High School in Needham, Massachusetts, in 1983. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical science from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1987. She also completed an M.S. in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology, in 1995.
Sunita Williams in the USNA class of 87
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Weight (approx.): 65 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Hazel Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
Sunita William’s father, Deepak Pandya (1932-2020), was an Indian-American neuroanatomist well known for his contributions to his subjects. He passed away on 4 October 2020, near Boston, United States, at the age of 87. ((The Times of India))
Sunita Williams with her father
Her mother, Bonnie (Zalokar) Pandya, who resides in Falmouth, is of Slovene descent. Sunita Williams is the youngest child of her parents and has two siblings, a brother named Jay Thomas, and a sister named Dina Pandya.
Sunita Williams (extreme left) with family
Husband & Children
Sunita Williams is married to Michael J. Williams who is a federal police officer in Texas. The couple has no children.
Relationships/Affairs
Sunita Williams dated Michael J. Williams, whom she met at the Naval Academy.
Religion
Sunita Williams follows Hinduism. ((Business Standard))
Signature/Autograph
Sunita Williams’ signature
Career
Military career
Sunita Lyn Williams joined the United States Navy as an ensign in May 1987. She completed a temporary assignment at the Naval Coastal System, which lasted for six months in 1989, and after that, she was designated as a Naval Aviator at the Naval Air Training Command. In July 1989, she began her initial helicopter combat training following which she flew in helicopter support squadrons when the Persian Gulf War broke out in 1990 as well as in relief missions during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, in Miami. After that, she started training at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and graduated as a Naval Test pilot in December 1993. After becoming a test pilot instructor, she flew 30 different aircraft and logged more than 2,770 hours.
Sunita Williams (second from right) in the United States Navy
NASA
Sunita Williams was selected for the astronaut program by NASA in June 1998. While working with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) for preparations of expeditions, she also received training in robotics and other ISS operational technologies in Moscow.
First space mission
Sunita Williams served as a flight engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15, when she was launched to the ISS with STS-116 on 9 December 2006. She competed in the Boston Marathon when she was at the ISS and ran 42.2 km (26.2 miles) on a treadmill. She made a record for women in space by performing four spacewalks, which totalled more than 29 hours outside the spacecraft. She spent more than 195 days in space before returning to Edwards Air Force Base in California with the crew of STS-117 on 22 June 2007.
Sunita Williams on STS-116 mission
Expeditions 32 and 33
She flew to the ISS again on 15 July 2012, where she was designated as the flight engineer on Expedition 32, and she became commander of Expedition 33 on 16 September, where she completed three more spacewalks totalling more than 21 hours outside the spacecraft. She made history by completing a triathlon in orbit using a treadmill, coinciding with the Nautica Malibu Triathlon held in Southern California on Earth. She spent nearly 127 days in space before returning to Earth with fellow astronauts Yuri Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide on 19 November 2012.
Commercial Crew Program
Williams was chosen to make the first test flights in NASA’s Commercial Crew program in July 2015. The program involves two new private spacecraft, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award (2007)
- Padma Bhushan, Government of India (2008)
- Medal “For Merit in Space Exploration,” Government of Russia (2011)
- Honorary Doctorate, Gujarat Logical University (2013)
- Golden Order for Merits, Government of Slovenia (2013)
- ASEF Lifetime Achievement Award (2020)
- Navy Commendation medal (twice)
- Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
- Humanitarian Service Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- NASA Spaceflight Medal
- Legion of Merit
- DSSM (twice)
- She holds the record for a total cumulative spacewalk of 50 hours and 40 minutes as a female astronaut.
- She ranks 8th on the list of most experienced spacewalkers.
- Sunita Williams is the former record holder for most spacewalks by a woman which is seven.
Tattoo(s)
She has several tattoos on her forearm.
Sunita Williams’ tattoos
Favourites
- Food: Samosa
- Subject: Science
- Sweets: Sukhdi and magas na laadu (Gujarati Sweets)
- Sport: Swimming
- Baseball team: Boston Red Sox
Facts/Trivia
- Sunita Lyn Williams’ nickname is ‘Suni.’
- Williams has three dogs, named Gunner, Bailey, and Rotor and many chickens. On 12 November 2010, her pet Jack Russell Terrier ‘Gorby,’ who is now deceased, was featured on the “Dog Whisperer” television show on the National Geographic Channel.
Sunita Williams with her dog, Gunner
- She enjoys activities such as running, swimming, biking, triathlons, windsurfing, snowboarding and bow hunting.
- On the STS-116 mission, Williams took with her to the ISS a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, a small figurine of the Hindu deity Ganesha, and some samosas.
- Williams was very athletic and a sports lover from a young age and swam in long-distance competitions in both high school and college.
Sunita Williams (second from left) at a swimming competition as a child
- Williams’ paternal family belonged to Jhulasan village in the Mehsana district in Gujarat, India. She visited Gujarat, India in September 2007, where she was awarded the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award by the World Gujarati Society which made her the first person of Indian origin who is not an Indian citizen to be given this award.
- Sunita Williams’ mother, Bonnie Pandya, wrote a book about her now-deceased dog Gorby, who died while she was in space.
Sunita Williams (right) with her mother
- In 2012, on expedition 32/33, she carried a small painting of Lord Shiva. ((The Times of India))
- After launching aboard the Shuttle Discovery on Expeditions 14 and 15, Sunita Williams arranged to donate her ponytail to Locks of Love, a nonprofit charity that provides custom-made hair prosthetics to disadvantaged children.
- She is associated with various organisations including the Society of Experimental, Test Pilots Society of Flight Test Engineers, and the American Helicopter Association.
