NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams wishes Happy Diwali, says 'unique opportunity to celebrate from 260 miles above Earth'
Sunita Williams, along with fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, has been on the ISS since June 6. The duo was the crew on board the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which was launched on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission.
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has extended her wishes for Diwali from the International Space Station (ISS). In a video message from the ISS, Williams wished everyone celebrating the festival at the White House and around the world a Happy Diwali.
CREDIT: NASA
Happy Diwali from ISS
"Greetings from the ISS. I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating today at the White House and around the world. This year, I have the unique opportunity to celebrate Diwali from 260 miles above the Earth on the ISS," Williams said in her message, broadcast during the official Diwali celebrations at the White House.
'My father shared his cultural roots'
"My father kept and shared his cultural roots by teaching us about Diwali and other Indian festivals. Diwali is a time of joy as goodness in the world prevails," she added.
#WATCH | Washington DC | White House Diwali Celebrations | NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams shares a video message on Diwali from the International Space Station.
¡ª ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2024
She says, "Greetings from the ISS. I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating¡ pic.twitter.com/YEv3wNAxW9
'Thank you for recognising contributions of Indian-Americans'
The 59-year-old, who was born to an Indian father and Slovenian mother, also thanked US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their participation in the Diwali festivities and for recognising the contributions of the community.
"Diwali is a time of joy as goodness in the world prevails... Thank you to the President and the Vice President for celebrating Diwali with our community today and for recognising the many contributions of our community," she said.
When will Sunita Williams return to Earth
Williams, along with fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, has been on the ISS since June 6. The duo was the crew on board the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which was launched on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission.
CREDIT: NASA
However, due to technical issues faced by the Starliner, NASA initially delayed their return before deciding not to bring them back to Earth on the troubled spacecraft.
CREDIT: REUTERS
The Boeing Starliner returned safely to Earth on 7 September without its crew, and Williams and Wilmore are expected to return only in February 2025, on a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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