At a press conference on Monday, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams spoke about her love for India from outer space, calling the nation "amazing" when seen from the International Space Station. She also spoke about looking forward to going back to her "father's homeland" and interacting with the people of India to learn about her space travel experiences.
Williams' remarks were made when asked about her experience of India while flying around the Earth. Looking back at the time spent on space, she remembered seeing the Himalayas for their beauty and explained the visual effect of the nation from outside. "Any time we crossed over the Himalayas, Butch [Wilmore] got some tremendous views of them. Just phenomenal," she mentioned. Williams continued with the description of how India appeared on the terrain, especially focusing on the grand effect of the Himalayas as well as the bright colors trailing the geology changes. “It’s many, many colours,” she added, emphasizing the view as both visually striking by day and night. Williams also pointed out India's city lights, explaining how, from orbit, the web of lights throughout India—from the metros to smaller cities—was breathtaking. "When you approach from the east, entering like Gujarat and Mumbai, the fleet of fishing boats off the coast there gives you a little bit of a beacon that here we come," she said, describing her entry into India from space.
Her words were echoed by Rakesh Sharma, India's first astronaut, who, when asked by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 what India was like from space, infamously said, "Sare jahan se achcha" (better than the whole world).
Williams also spoke of her excitement at future space missions involving India, specifically the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which will take Shubhanshu Shukla from India to the International Space Station.
Shukla shall be India's second space-borne astronaut, after Rakesh Sharma took the first hop. "They'll have one of their hometown heroes there themselves who will be able to comment on how terrific the International Space Station is based on his viewpoint," Williams reported. She showed enthusiasm in getting to know Shukla and exchanging experiences, particularly with people of India, pointing to the country's increasing fascination with space exploration and its place as a democracy making inroads into space. Deepak Pandya, Williams's father, who hails from Gujarat, emigrated to the United States in 1958, where he completed his medical education. Sunita Williams was born in Ohio to Deepak and Ursuline Bonnie Pandya.
When asked by Wilmore whether she would be taking her crew members to India with her, Williams replied laughing, "Absolutely. You may stand out a little bit but that's fine. We'll get you all ready with some spicy food, will be good."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Williams and her Crew-9 colleagues as they landed on Earth after their extended space mission.
He congratulated them on their endurance, describing their determination as an inspiration to millions of individuals. "Welcome back, Crew9! The Earth missed you," Modi wrote in a tweet on X. The Crew-9 astronauts, Williams, Nick Hague, Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, landed on Earth on March 18 aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. Williams and Wilmore had originally been scheduled to return in September, but their spacecraft experienced technical problems, causing them to stay in space for a further nine months.
Modi pointed out their strength, stating, "Theirs has been a test of grit, courage and the boundless human spirit," pointing out that their journey had inspired millions. The prime minister commended them and those responsible for their successful return, referring to it as a demonstration of the successful blend of precision, passion, technology, and tenacity.
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