Sunita Williams Biography – Age, Education and Wealth

Sunita Lyn “Suni” Williams is an American astronaut, a former U.S. Navy officer, and one of the most experienced spacewalkers in history. She has spent many days in space, participated in multiple spacewalks and even ran a marathon in space. Born on September 19, 1965, Williams has had an inspiring career in both the Navy and NASA. She is known for her dedication, courage and record-breaking achievements in space exploration.

Early Life and Family of Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, USA, but she considers Needham, Massachusetts, as her hometown. Her father, Deepak Pandya, was from Gujarat, India and worked as a neuroanatomist. Her mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya, was of Slovene origin. Williams has two older siblings, a brother named Jay Thomas and a sister named Dina Anand.

Since she comes from a mixed cultural background, Williams proudly carries both her Indian and Slovenian heritage. She has even taken a Slovenian flag, samosas and a traditional Slovenian sausage to space as a tribute to her roots.

Education of Sunita Williams

Williams completed her schooling at Needham High School in 1983. She then joined the United States Naval Academy, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Science in 1987. Later, in 1995, she completed a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Age of Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams was born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, USA. As of now, she is 59 years old. She is a famous astronaut known for her space missions and record-breaking spacewalks.

Military Career of Sunita Williams

After completing her education, Williams joined the U.S. Navy as an officer in 1987. She trained as a Navy pilot and became a helicopter pilot in 1989. She was assigned to several important missions, including operations in the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Provide Comfort.

Williams played a key role in disaster relief operations as well. In 1992, she helped during the Hurricane Andrew relief efforts in Florida. Later, she became a test pilot and instructor at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Over her career in the Navy, she flew more than 3,000 hours in over 30 different aircraft. She retired from the Navy in 2017.

Astronaut Career at NASA

Sunita started her training as an astronaut in 1998 at the Johnson Space Center. She became a part of several space missions and broke records for spacewalks by a woman.

Expeditions 14 and 15

Sunita was launched into space on December 9, 2006, abroad the Space Shuttle Discovery. She joined the ISS as part of Expeditions 14 and 15. She performed her first spacewalk during this mission. During one spacewalk, a camera became loose and floated away into space.

She also became the first person to run a marathon in space on April 16, 2007. She completed the Boston Marathon while running on a treadmill in the ISS in 4 hours and 24 minutes.

Expeditions 32 and 33

Williams went to space again on July 15, 2012, abroad a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. She became the commander of Expedition 33, making her only the second woman to lead the ISS.

During this mission, she performed another spacewalk, where she appeared to “touch” the Sun in a famous photograph. She also became the first person to complete a triathlon in space, simulating running, cycling and swimming using the ISS’s fitness equipment.

She returned to Earth on November 19, 2012, landing in Kazakhstan after a four-month stay on the ISS.

Spacewalking Achievements

Sunita Williams is one of the most experienced spacewalkers. She has completed nine spacewalks, totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes in space. She held the record for the most spacewalk hours by a woman until 2017.

Commercial Crew Program

In 2015, NASA selected Williams for the Commercial Crew Program, which aims to develop private space travel with companies like Boeing and SpaceX. She was assigned to the Boeing CST-100 Starliner’s first crewed mission, which was launched in 2014.

Her mission faced delays and her return to Earth is scheduled for March 18, 2025.

Awards and Honors Presented to Sunita Williams

Williams has received several awards for her contributions to space exploration, including:

• Defense Superior Service Media
• Legion of Merit
• Navy Commercial Medal
• Navy and Marine Corps Achievements Medal
• NASA Spaceflight Medal
• Medal “For Merit in Space Exploration” by Government of Russia
• Padma Bhushan by Government of India
• Honorary Doctorate, Gujarat Technological University
• Golden Order for Merits by Government of Slovenia
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha