Washington D.C., [USA], April 1 (ANI):
NASA
Astronaut
Sunita Williams
mentioned her intention to travel to India shortly and have meetings there
ISRO
Her team during her visit.

Williams said during
NASA
‘s
SpaceX
During the Crew-9 post-flight news conference, she expressed that India seemed ‘incredible’ every time her spacecraft flew over the Himalayas during her nine-month-long stay in orbit.

I am hopeful and confident that I will return to my father’s homeland, meet new people, and get excited about the Indian astronauts heading into space.
ISRO
“An upcoming mission,” she stated.

Sunita Williams
Her mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya (née Zalokar), has Slovenian-American heritage, whereas her father, Deepak Pandya, hails from
Gujarat
.

Williams expressed her desire to share her experiences from being in space.
ISRO
, noting with approval how India took significant strides in the space industry, considering itself a like-minded democratic nation.

“It’s quite impressive – they’ll have a local hero who can share firsthand experiences about how amazing the International Space Station is from his point of view,” she commented.

“I hope we can get together sometime soon and share our experiences with as many people in India as possible since it’s a remarkable nation, an incredible democracy striving to become one of the leading countries in space exploration. I’d really like to contribute my efforts towards this cause,” she said.

When queried about whether she intended to bring her team along for her upcoming journey to India, she affirmed and joked that they would all get a taste of spicy cuisine.

“Certainly! You may stand out a bit, but that’s alright—we’ll spice things up with some tasty treats, and everything will be perfect,” she said.

Williams mentioned that she could observe how India’s geographical structure emerged as a result of the collision between land masses that led to the formation of the Himalayas, which also had a cascading effect leading to the creation of India itself.

“India is astounding. Each time we flew over the Himalayas—we captured fantastic photographs of them—truly breathtaking. As I mentioned earlier, it’s similar to a ripple effect. This occurred when the tectonic plates collided and continued flowing southward into India. The landscape displays numerous shades and hues,” she explained.

Williams highlighted India’s diversity observable from outer space, ranging from the Himalayan range to varying Eastern cultures, all the way to the fishing boats along the Western coast.

“I believe that when you originate from the East, venturing into places like
Gujarat
And in Mumbai—the fishing fleet along the coastline serves as a signal that says here we come! Throughout India,” she stated.

Williams stated that the nation resembled a web of illumination, with prominent urban centers shining most brightly and gradually dimming as one moves toward lesser towns.

“The impression I got was a web of lights extending from major urban areas through smaller towns. It was breathtaking both at night and during the daytime, particularly with the stunning view of the Himalayas serving as an impressive foreground leading into India,” she stated.

NASA
Crew-9 astronauts
Sunita Williams
On March 19, NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore, along with Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, took their first breaths of terrestrial air in more than nine months following the successful splashdown.
SpaceX
‘s Dragon capsule.

Issues encountered during Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft test flight, overseen by astronaut Butch Wilmore, resulted in delays.
Sunita Williams
Last summer, this resulted in the astronaut pair staying in space for nine months instead of just a week, as reported by CNN.

At that time,
ISRO
stated its wish to team up with Williams for upcoming space endeavors.

When Bharat, led by the esteemed Hon’ble
PM Modi
“JI is striving to develop India into a developed nation and wishes to utilize your expertise in the field of space exploration,” it stated. (ANI)