Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams shared her experiences of seeing India from space at a press conference a few days after she returned to Earth following her extended mission on the International Space Station (ISS). After spending 286 days in space, Williams said India looks “amazing, absolutely amazing” from above.
Williams was particularly impressed by the breathtaking views of the Himalayas. She said that whenever the ISS passed over the Himalayan mountain range, her colleague Butch Wilmore would take amazing pictures. “Every time we went over the Himalayas, Butch got incredible pictures, it’s amazing,” Williams said. The view of India from space makes her feel connected to her heritage.
Furthermore, Williams described the experience of seeing India’s big and small cities lit up at night as “incredible”. He also expressed excitement about NASA’s upcoming Axiom mission, which will also include Indian Air Force test pilot and ISRO astronaut Subhanshu Shukla.
Williams expressed her desire to contribute to India’s space programme and said she wanted to share her experience and support the country’s growing space ambitions. “I would love to be a part of it and help them,” she said.
Finally, Williams expressed his desire to visit ‘his father’s country’ India soon.
