Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams recently shared her plans to visit India soon and meet with the team at ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).
During a news conference after NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, Williams spoke fondly of her experiences in space, especially when her spacecraft passed over India and the majestic Himalayas.
Williams, who spent nine months in space during her mission, described India as “amazing” every time she saw it from space. She recalled the stunning views of the Himalayas, saying, “India is amazing. Every time we went over the Himalayas, we got some incredible pictures of the Himalayas, so just amazing. Like I’ve described it before just like this ripple that happened. Obviously when the plates collided and then as it flows down into India. It’s many, many colours.”
India is amazing: Sunita Williams pic.twitter.com/l0LNxGIqwh
— Sibu Tripathi 🪂 (@imsktripathi) April 1, 2025
Williams, whose father Deepak Pandya hails from Gujarat, said she was looking forward to visiting her father’s home country. She also expressed excitement about the future of Indian astronauts, particularly those who will be part of ISRO’s upcoming space missions.
“I hope I can meet up at some point in time and we can share our experiences with as many people in India as possible because it’s a great country, another wonderful democracy that’s trying to put its foot in the space countries and I would love to be part of that and help them along,” she said.
Williams even joked about bringing her crew along during the visit. She said with a smile, “Absolutely! You might stick out a little bit but that’s okay- we’ll get you all primed with some spicy food. We’ll be good.”
Williams also described her awe at India’s vast diversity, which she could see from space. From the Himalayas to the different cultures across the country, she noted the beauty of India’s landforms and people. She spoke about how the major cities, visible as bright spots at night, create a beautiful network of lights. “I think the impression I had was it was just like this network of lights from the bigger cities going down through the smaller cities. [It was] just incredible to look at night, as well as during the day. Highlighted of course by the Himalayas, which is just incredible as a forefront going down into India,” she said.
After returning to Earth from her nine-month mission, Sunita Williams, along with her fellow Crew-9 astronauts, breathed fresh air on March 19 following the successful splashdown of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. The extended mission was due to delays with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which caused some changes in the schedule.
ISRO has shown interest in collaborating with Williams in the future, as the Indian space agency continues to work on its missions under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a message to Williams, ISRO expressed its hope to use her expertise to help India grow its space exploration programme. “When Bharat under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Modi ji is working towards making India as a developed country, we wish to utilise your expertise in the space exploration,” it said.
Williams’ planned visit is set to further strengthen ties between India and the global space community, and it will surely be an exciting opportunity for both ISRO and the people of India to connect with one of the world’s most accomplished astronauts.
