Sunita Williams

• 25 Apr 2024

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, alongside Butch Wilmore, will launch on May 6 for her third space mission with NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test.

• They will lift off aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, docking at the International Space Station for about a week.
• The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and will test the end-to-end capabilities of the Starliner spacecraft, including launch, docking, and return to Earth.
• Williams, selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998, is a veteran of two space missions — Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33.
• During her earlier missions, Williams set records for female astronauts, including the world record for most spacewalks by a woman, totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes.
• Williams spent a total of 322 days in space over her two missions, with her last mission involving a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station.
• She will now join the Boeing Crew Flight Test as part of NASA's efforts to certify the Starliner spacecraft for future crewed missions to the space station.