NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, an Indian-American of Gujarati descent, has announced plans to visit India soon and meet the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) team.

During the SpaceX Crew-9 Post-Flight News Conference, Williams expressed her admiration for India, particularly its advancements in the space sector, and shared her excitement about connecting with Indian astronauts involved in upcoming ISRO missions.

She emphasised her desire to share her space experiences with ISRO and Indian space enthusiasts.

Williams, who recently returned to Earth on March 19 after a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), described her unique perspective of India from space, marvelling at its geographic beauty, including the Himalayas, and vibrant diversity visible from orbit. She plans to bring her Crew-9 teammates along during her visit and humorously noted that they would be "primed with spicy food".

The astronaut also highlighted India's growing role as a spacefaring nation and expressed interest in collaborating with ISRO for future endeavours. ISRO Chief Dr. S Somanath has previously acknowledged Williams' contributions to space exploration and indicated openness to involving her as an advisor for India's space program.

Agencies