‘I would love to go to the moon, but leave it for the new generation’: Sunita Williams Special india news

Last updated:January 22, 2026, 22:54 IST

Talking about the myriad opportunities in space, retired NASA astronaut Sunita Williams said that youth should pursue their careers, explore more and participate in this field

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who retired from the space agency and is visiting India, has expressed her desire to go to the Moon but said she would rather give the opportunity to the new generation.

Williams, 60, said he hoped India and the United States would cooperate in space. Talking about the innumerable opportunities in space, he said that the youth should make their career, explore more and participate in this field.

Williams said, “I hope the US and India work together in space…I would love to go to the Moon, but I would like to pass it on to a new generation. There are so many opportunities for young people in space…they should explore more and participate more.” news18 In an exclusive interview.

He said it felt good to be back in India and had planned to go on a holiday after returning to Earth from space.

“It’s good to be back in India. We had to go through a long routine to get back into form after returning to Earth. We needed a mental break because we knew we would be in space longer than anticipated; we loved being in space and when we returned to India we had plans…to go on a holiday. We felt relieved when we were returning to Earth. My entire family was very supportive,” she said.

The astronaut said her experience in space was unique and she wanted to share it with everyone because it was “pretty cool” to be a NASA astronaut.

She said, “I carried food on the spacecraft that represented my culture. It was great to be a NASA astronaut.”

Williams was stranded in space when an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) turned out to be the challenge of a lifetime after her Boeing space flight developed problems, leaving her in orbit for more than nine months. He had an illustrious career spanning 27 years, during which he completed three missions on the ISS and set various human spaceflight records,

“After 27 years of service, NASA astronaut Suni Williams will retire from the agency effective December 27, 2025. Williams completed three missions to the International Space Station, and set numerous human spaceflight records throughout her career,” NASA said in a statement released Jan. 20.

Excerpts from the interview:

How does it feel to be back in India?

It feels great to be back in India. I was looking forward to meeting people here for a long time but was a bit busy with some things going on on the planet and outside the planet.

How is Kerala?

Kerala is one of those places that my father talked about a lot. So, I was excited to come and see it for myself and experience the amazing food and people. I haven’t experienced everything yet, but I got a little taste of it when I was in Sharjah for a literary festival.

What is your favorite food from Kerala?

I like those little peppers that are in the yogurt; I had them for the first time today…they’re hot but they’re so amazing. I know there’s a lot to try and I just got here last night. By the end of the week, I’ll have a favorite.

A mission was planned for eight days but was extended to nine months. How was the situation? How did you cope with it mentally and physically?

Butch Wilmore and I, we both love to work out. We had planned from the beginning. I’m really glad we did this. It set us up for a long routine to make sure we stayed physically fit for the nine months we were there and that was one of the best parts of the day… when you could get on the treadmill, lift weights every day to maintain your bone density and muscle. Also, this is a good time to take mental rest. Obviously, we needed a break. We knew that we would have to stay there for more than eight days. It was fun in the beginning because obviously I love the place…the decision making process is very complicated. We all had places to come back to, go on holidays. You know, Butch’s kids, my mom growing up. So, it all started to weigh on us. I was relieved when the decision was made. My family and friends were very supportive when I called. ‘Okay, we won’t be back for another six months.’ They were like, ‘Okay, have a good time, get back to the spacecraft safely and keep us informed.’

Did you feel helpless at any time?

Not necessarily helpless; There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people working on a solution. This program is much bigger than us. We were on the spaceship at that time. We knew we were not alone on this journey and we would be okay.

You mentioned that the first thing you did when you arrived at the ISS was to explore your “home” – India and Slovenia, where your parents are from. How did seeing Earth from space connect you to your roots and family?

Well, the best thing is to share that it is one planet and we only have 28 percent of it. Having the experience, being there taking pictures of all the people I know and thinking about the rest of the population on the planet globally, my experience was very unique and I would like to share it with people. Everyone can sit back and just think for a second about their role and how we should live together.

India is preparing for Gaganyaan mission. How do you view India’s space missions?

Everything is coming to light because of what happened recently. Captain (Shubhanshu) Shukla is the pilot of that mission, so it’s amazing. Our partnership with the Indian Space Agency for sensors and spacecraft to prepare to go back to the Moon is wonderful. I think the Indian space program is the limit of imagination. I will keep encouraging them.

With India expanding its presence in space, how do you see international collaboration, especially between ISRO and NASA, shaping the future of space exploration?

Partnerships with other agencies are incredible because we can do things we can’t do on our own. We have five major agencies that have contributed to the International Space Agency. We had people from other countries being part of space agencies. So, I think this is an opening door for many other countries to be a part of this joint collaboration and exploration. I think that’s very important, and it’s all based on the concept that we talked about earlier. This is one planet, this is where we all come from.

Do you plan to go to the moon?

I would love to go to the Moon, but I guess I’m giving it up to the next generation of astronauts. Hopefully I’ve been able to give them some good ideas, and not too many bad ideas. I’m excited for them to do that.

We hear that you are fond of samosas and even took a Ganesha with you during your space mission. What does it mean to you?

These little artifacts from India, including food and even food from Slovenia, have traveled with me to space. It’s kind of a representation of where I come from, what defines me, my parents and their culture. You can’t walk away from that and I don’t want to do that either. Because I think it enriches the whole experience and it was really meaningful and important to me to share the space station, space exploration, with those cultures.

What are your plans after retirement? Will we see more of you in India?

that would be great. I hope that, now that time is in my schedule, a little more. It was great being a NASA astronaut, completing the projects I was assigned; I loved it and now I have a little more free time to spend with family and friends, and that means visiting places like India and Slovenia.

Are there any plans to collaborate with space programs here?

Not yet, we’ll see what happens. We will see.

You are an inspiration to many students and young scientists. Any advice for them, especially girls?

There are so many opportunities out there, don’t hesitate, try, just do it. I am here in Kerala at a literary festival. Doing research involves reading and understanding different concepts from different people all put together.

Of the nine spacewalks you have performed, what is the most memorable?

Probably the first is the most memorable. My second to last one was very intense because my head was very close to performing an operation next to a spacecraft that was bringing us help. During my last spacewalk, I kept talking about space exploration and spacecraft… We had to get a box onto a platform and we used some crowbars, so sometimes a simple tool is a tool you need.

‘Trailblazer in human spaceflight’

Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams was born on September 19, 1965 in Euclid, Ohio, USA, to Gujarati father Deepak Pandya and Slovenian mother Ursuline Bonnie Pandya, hailing from Jhulasan in Mehsana district.

“Sunny Williams has been a pioneer in human spaceflight, shaping the future of exploration through her leadership on the space station and paving the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit,” the statement quoted NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman as saying. “His work in advancing science and technology laid the foundation for the Artemis missions to the Moon and advances toward Mars, and his extraordinary achievements will continue to inspire generations to dream big and push the boundaries of what is possible. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to NASA and our country.”

Williams spent 608 days in space – second on the list of cumulative time in space by a NASA astronaut. He ranks sixth on the list of longest solo spaceflights by an American, tied with NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, both of whom flew for 286 days during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions.

She also completed nine spacewalks totaling 62 hours and six minutes, ranking as the most spacewalk time by a woman and fourth on the all-time cumulative spacewalk duration list. NASA said she was the first person to run a marathon in space.

From Needham, Massachusetts, he holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. A retired US Navy captain, he is a skilled helicopter and fixed-wing pilot, having logged more than 4,000 flying hours in 40 different aircraft, it said.

Williams first launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in December 2006 with STS-116 and returned aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis with the STS-117 crew. He served as a flight engineer for Expedition 14/15 and completed a then-record-breaking four spacewalks during the mission.

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