NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is set to celebrate her 59th birthday aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on September 19, 2024. This will be the second time she marks her special day in space due to the ongoing technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which has delayed her return to Earth. Williams, who has been aboard the ISS since June 6, is currently accompanied by fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore.
Born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, to Dr. Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya, Williams attended Needham High School in Massachusetts and graduated in 1983. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987 and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.
Williams first ventured on an extended space mission during Expedition 14/15 from December 2006 to June 2007, serving as a Flight Engineer and contributing to scientific research aboard the ISS. Her second mission, Expedition 32/33, lasted from July to November 2012, during which she celebrated her birthday in space for the first time.
Known for her strong ties to her Indian heritage, Williams once carried a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, samosas, and a figurine of Lord Ganesha with her on a space mission.
Williams and Wilmore are slated to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Crew space capsule, which is now configured as their emergency return spacecraft until the arrival of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission, scheduled for no earlier than September 24, 2024. With her current mission, Williams will have spent a cumulative total of over 322 days in space.