Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams danced as the Boeing Starliner capsule, carrying her and crewmate Barry “Butch” Wilmore, safely docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday.
Sunita Williams made history as the first woman to pilot a new spacecraft on its inaugural crewed test flight to space. Launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on June 5, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore embarked on the Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, a crucial step in certifying the Starliner for regular crewed flights to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
In a video shared by Boeing Space on X, Sunita Williams is seen exiting the capsule, performing a little dance in zero gravity, and embracing other astronauts aboard the ISS.
The Starliner capsule, carrying Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore, and over 500 pounds of cargo, will remain docked with the ISS for approximately 26 hours. During their week-long stay, the astronauts will conduct tests and validate Starliner’s systems before returning to Earth for a parachute-assisted landing in the western US.
Sunita Williams, a veteran of two previous space shuttle missions totaling 322 days in orbit, holds records for most spacewalks and spacewalk time by a woman during her expeditions aboard the ISS in 2006-2007 and 2012.
Her achievement holds particular significance given her Indian-Slovenian heritage, celebrating her multicultural roots by carrying Indian and Slovenian items during previous spaceflights.
As Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore conduct operations aboard the ISS, their pioneering mission aboard Starliner marks a significant step in expanding humanity’s access to space through commercial partnerships, cementing Sunita Williams’ legacy as one of the most accomplished women in space exploration history.
