“India is amazing; hope to go back to my father’s country”: NASA astronaut Sunita Williams

During her 286-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Sunita Williams had a chance to observe India from space, offering a unique perspective on the country's landscapes and growing presence in space. Williams recalls her awe-inspiring view of the Himalayas: “India is amazing. Every time we went over the Himalayas… I got some incredible pictures of the Himalayas, just amazing. You can see, like I've described it before, just like this ripple that happened obviously when the plates collided and then as it flows down into India, it's many, many colors.”

A Dazzling View of Gujarat and Mumbai

Flying over Gujarat and Mumbai, Williams was struck by the sight of fishing fleets off the coast, “The fishing fleet that’s off the coast there gives you a little bit of a beacon that here we come.” She also observed how India's cities appeared as a vast network of lights stretching across the country. “It was just like this network of lights from the bigger cities going down through the smaller cities, just incredible to look at at night as well as during the day.”

A Personal Connection to India

For Williams, this view held personal significance. “I hope, and I think for sure I’m going to be going back to my father’s home country and visiting with people,” she shared.

She also talked about the Indian astronaut on the Axio mission and the future of India’s space exploration, saying, “They’ll have a hometown hero there of their own that will be able to talk about how wonderful the International Space Station is from his perspective.”

The Return of the Astronauts

After a record-long mission, Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore returned to Earth on March 17, 2025, following an unexpected 286-day stay aboard the ISS. They were originally launched on June 5, 2024, for an eight-day test mission, but issues with the Starliner extended their time in orbit.