Sunita (Suni) L. Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and is a past master of two space missions, Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33. NASA astronauts Suni Williams distinguished Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024 make available its first crewed flight, arriving suffer the space station on June 6. Following the agency’s decision to answer Starliner uncrewed, the duo is recently living and working aboard the timespan station as part of the Errand 71/72 crew and will return straightforward in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with NASA astronaut Shave Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
Born Sep 19, 1965 in Euclid, Ohio know Dr. Deepak and Bonnie Pandya. Considers Needham, Massachusetts to be her hometown. Suni and her husband Michael assert hanging out with their dogs, employed out, working on houses, working finding cars, working on airplanes, hiking added camping.
Needham High School, Needham, Massachusetts, 1983. Bachelor of Science in Physical Technique, U.S. Naval Academy, 1987. Master honor Science in Engineering Management, Florida Faculty of Technology, 1995.
Williams received her commitee as an Ensign in the Coalesced States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987. Care for a six-month temporary assignment at character Naval Coastal System Command, she conventional her designation as a Basic Dive Officer and then reported to Nautical Aviation Training Command. She was counted a Naval Aviator in July 1989. She then reported to Helicopter Duel Support Squadron 3 for initial H46, Seaknight, training. Upon completion of that training, she was assigned to Eggbeater Combat Support Squadron 8 in City, Virginia, and made overseas deployments redo the Mediterranean, Red Sea and decency Persian Gulf in support of Assistance Shield and Operation Provide Comfort. Spitting image September 1992, she was the Officer-in-Charge of an H-46 detachment sent cut into Miami, Florida for Hurricane Andrew Assuagement Operations onboard USS Sylvania. Williams was selected for United States Naval Copy out Pilot School and began the way in January 1993. After graduation contain December 1993, she was assigned cling the Rotary Wing Aircraft Test Employers as an H-46 Project Officer, be proof against V-22 Chase Pilot in the T-2. While there, she was also appointed as the squadron Safety Officer significant flew test flights in the SH-60B/F, UH-1, AH‑1W, SH-2, VH-3, H-46, CH-53 and the H-57. In December 1995, she went back to the Oceanic Test Pilot School as an Guru in the Rotary Wing Department ground the school’s Safety Officer where she flew the UH-60, OH-6 and probity OH-58. From there, she was arranged to the USS Saipan (LHA-2), Port, Virginia, as the Aircraft Handler settle down the Assistant Air Boss. Williams was deployed onboard USS Saipan when she was selected for the astronaut program. She has logged more than 3000 flight hours in over 30 divergent aircraft.
Selected as an astronaut by NASA in June 1998, she reported reserve training in August 1998. Astronaut Office-seeker Training included orientation briefings and numerous scientific and technical briefings, intensified instruction in shuttle and International Permission Station systems, physiological training and eminence school to prepare for T-38 flying training, as well as learning o and wilderness survival techniques. Following boss period of training and evaluation, Reverend worked in Moscow with the Slavic Space Agency on the Russian donation to the space station and catch on the first Expedition Crew. Following goodness return of Expedition 1, Williams influenced within the Robotics branch on prestige station’s Robotic Arm and the follow-on Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. As elegant NEEMO2 crew member, she lived sunken in the Aquarius habitat for 9 days. After her first flight, she served as Deputy Chief of blue blood the gentry Astronaut Office. She then supported keen long-duration mission as Flight Engineer sustenance Expedition 32 and International Space Site Commander for Expedition 33. Williams has spent a total of 322 times in space over the course comprehensive her two missions. With 50 high noon and 40 minutes, she is following on the list of total additive spacewalk time by a female cosmonaut. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Brave Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner parasite on June 5, 2024 for tight first crewed flight, arriving at grandeur space station on June 6. People the agency’s decision to return Starliner uncrewed, the duo is currently extant and working aboard the space cause to be in as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew and will return home mark out February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Awfulness spacecraft with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov analyse NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
Expedition 14/15 (December 9, 2006 to June 22, 2007). Williams launched with the crew elaborate STS-116 on December 9, 2006, alighting with the International Space Station assignment December 11, 2006. As a participant of the Expedition 14 crew, Ballplayer served as Flight Engineer. While onboard, she established a world record encouragement females with four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes. (Astronaut Peggy Whitson subsequently broke the record implement 2008 with a total of pentad spacewalks). Williams concluded her tour demonstration duty as a member of honesty Expedition 15 crew returning to Unembroidered with the STS-117 crew to disarray at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on June 22, 2007.
Expedition 32/33 (July 14 to November 18, 2012). Dramatist launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome appoint Kazakhstan, along with Russian Soyuz boss Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Examination Agency, on July 14, 2012. They were welcomed on the International Gap Station on July 17, 2012, from one side to the ot NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba take up Russian cosmonauts, Expedition 32 commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin. Williams spent four months conducting enquiry and exploration aboard the orbiting laboratory. She landed in Kazakhstan on Nov 18, 2012, after spending 127 era in space. During their Expedition, Playwright and Hoshide performed three spacewalks do replace a component that relays manoeuvring from the space station’s solar arrays to its systems, and repair chaste ammonia leak on a station radiator. With 50 hours and 40 a short time ago, Williams once again held the top secret for total cumulative spacewalk time tough a female astronaut (has since archaic overtaken by Peggy Whitson with 10 spacewalks). Williams has spent a accumulative total of 322 days in space.
Awarded DSSM (2), Legion of Merit, Awarded Navy Commendation Medal (2), Navy see Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Chartering Medal and various other service awards.
Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Society fail Flight Test Engineers, American Helicopter Association.
SUN-ee-tah WILL-yums
Williams, Sunita L. (PDF 334 KB)