Astronaut Sunita Williams Sends Diwali Greetings from the International Space Station: Watch the Video.
Williams expresses that her father had cultural roots in common with her.
Sunita Williams, an Indian-origin astronaut, has been in space for nearly five months alongside Butch Wilmore. During a recent live broadcast, Williams sent greetings for Diwali to everyone celebrating this festival of lights in the United States and around the world. She expressed, “I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating today at the White House and around the world.” This year, she noted that she has a unique opportunity to celebrate Diwali "260 miles above the Earth."
Additionally, she remembered her late father, Deepak Pandya, who passed on the importance of her cultural roots and taught her about Diwali and other Indian festivals. Williams also emphasized that "Diwali is a time of joy because goodness prevails in the world." She thanked President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for celebrating this festival with the community, stating, "Thank you to the President and the Vice President for celebrating Diwali with our community today and for recognizing the numerous contributions of the community."
Williams highlighted that she grew up in a multicultural household where her parents always encouraged her to seek opportunities and reach for the stars. She and Wilmore departed for the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5 during a test flight of Boeing's Starliner. This spacecraft encountered issues and was deemed unfit for astronauts, leading to a seven-day mission being extended until February 2025.
The Starliner returned to Earth safely, but without a crew. It was decided that both astronauts would return to our planet on SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which is currently docked at the ISS. It is worth mentioning that this mission with the Boeing Starliner marks the third time Sunita Williams has traveled to the ISS. In her previous missions, she has accumulated a total of 322 days in space. According to NASA, with 50 hours and 40 minutes, she ranks second in total spacewalk time among female astronauts.
