Is Sunita Williams planning India trip? Here's what she said
What's the story
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has announced that she will soon be traveling to India to meet her relatives as well as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) team.
The announcement came during NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Post-Flight news conference.
Williams expressed excitement about visiting her father's homeland in Gujarat and mentioned her enthusiasm for the Indian astronauts participating in an upcoming ISRO space mission.
Return
Williams returns after 9-month space mission
Along with fellow NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, Williams returned to Earth last month after a nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Their return was delayed due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
The crew had initially planned an eight-day mission but had to extend their stay due to helium leaks and thruster failures making their spacecraft unsafe.
Space observations
Williams shares her space experiences
During the news conference, Williams said she was looking forward to sharing her space experiences with ISRO.
She lauded India's advancements in the space sector and its position as a democratic nation.
"It's pretty awesome- they'll have a hometown hero there of their own that will be able to talk about how wonderful the International Space Station is from his perspective," she said.
In a historic first for India, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will fly to ISS later this year.
Space perspective
Sunita Williams praises India's diversity from space
Williams also shared how India looked from space, calling it "amazing" every time her spacecraft flew over the Himalayas.
She emphasized on the country's diverse landscape visible from space, including its geological formations and unique cultures.
Williams also said that India looked like a network of lights at night, with major cities shining brightly and smaller cities glimmering softly.