A Birthday in Space
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with Barry Wilmore. Due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, Williams will celebrate her 59th birthday in space for the second time on September 19th.
Born in Euclid, Ohio, Williams attended Needham High School in Massachusetts and earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987. She further completed a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.
Williams' first extended spaceflight was during Expedition 14/15 from December 9, 2006, to June 22, 2007. As a Flight Engineer, she contributed to scientific research and maintenance activities aboard the ISS.
Her second extended spaceflight was during Expedition 32/33 from July 14 to November 18, 2012. During this four-month stay, she conducted various scientific experiments and exploration activities, marking her first birthday in space. Notably, she carried a copy of Bhagavat Gita, samosas, and a figure of Lord Ganesha on this mission.
Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025 in SpaceX's Dragon Crew space capsule, after spending 8 months in space. This will bring her cumulative total time in space to 322 days.
In case of an emergency, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft supporting Crew-8 has been configured to serve as their emergency return vehicle until the launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission on September 24th.