Sunita Williams to return to the ISS at 58, to pilot Boeing X NASA spaceship to the observatory

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, a trailblazer in space exploration, is set to make history once again as she embarks on a journey back to the International Space Station (ISS) in her third trip to space. While this is already an impressive feat, Williams will be making this trip at the age of 58, making her one of the oldest astronauts to go to space.

Williams, who achieved great fame for her previous space missions and spacewalks including a stint aboard the ISS, will become one of the oldest astronauts to venture into space, with her upcoming mission.

Scheduled for liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center on May 7, 2024, at 8:04 am (IST), Williams will serve as the mission pilot aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

This mission marks her return to space after several years, with Williams last visiting the ISS at the age of 58. With a remarkable career spanning over two decades, Williams has accumulated an impressive record of 322 days spent in space, according to official figures from NASA.

Notably, she formerly held the record for the most extended spacewalk time by a female astronaut, logging 50 hours and 40 minutes across seven spacewalks.

Accompanying Williams on this significant journey is fellow astronaut Barry Willmore, a seasoned navy test pilot with prior spaceflight experience.

The duo will embark on a week-long mission to the ISS, aimed at testing the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

While speaking to NDTV, Williams expressed a mix of excitement and nervousness about the upcoming flight, and said that her arrival at the ISS is similar to “going back home.”

Launching atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, Williams and Willmore will travel to the ISS, where they will conduct various experiments and tests to evaluate the spacecraft’s capabilities, and will be staying for over a week.

Following their stay aboard the ISS, the astronauts will make a return journey to Earth by parachuting to the southwest of the United States.

The Starliner spacecraft, named ‘Calypso’ by Williams in homage to Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s iconic ship, is designed to accommodate up to seven passengers or a combination of crew and cargo for low-Earth orbit missions, according to Boeing.

Williams’ selection of the name reflects her admiration for Cousteau’s contributions to ocean exploration and conservation.

As Williams and Willmore prepare to embark on this historic mission, their journey symbolizes the enduring spirit of exploration and collaboration in humanity’s quest for knowledge beyond the confines of Earth.