Sunita Williams: The Indian-Origin NASA Astronaut’s Return from Space
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s Journey Home
After a nine-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS), Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her crewmate Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth on Tuesday at 05:57 EDT (Wednesday 03:27 AM IST). Their homecoming is made possible by the launch of SpaceX Crew-10, which took off from Kennedy Space Center on Friday (March 14) night as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Sunita Williams’ Indian Roots
Born on 19 September, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, U.S, Sunita Williams is the daughter of Deepak Pandya, a neuroscientist from Gujarat, India who migrated to the USA in 1957. Sunita Williams’ ancestral roots can be traced back to Jhulasan village in Gujarat, where her father and grandparents once resided.
Jhulasan Village: Sunita Williams’ Ancestral Home
- Jhulasan village has a population of around 7000 people.
- The village has a small library named in memory of Sunita Williams’ grandparents.
- Sunita Williams has visited her ancestral village three times.
- During one of her visits, the Indian-origin astronaut donated funds to a school in her ancestral village.
The residents of Jhulasan, Gujarat are proud of their connection to Sunita Williams. Since news broke in 2024 that she was stranded at the ISS, the villagers have been praying for her safe return to Earth, keeping an oil lamp burning as a symbol of their hopes.
