Sunita Williams said she wants to go on Moon, what she said about space travel and commercialization of space
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams said on Tuesday that she wants to go on Moon but her husband will not allow. When asked about going to the Moon, she said, "I want to go to the Moon, but my husband will not allow. It's time to come home and pass on the baton. The next generation needs to find its place in space exploration."
Speaking at an interactive session at the American Center in New Delhi, Williams said that space travel is a team sport and that countries need to work together. She also emphasized that the commercialization of space is necessary because it creates opportunities for employment and innovation in areas such as new technologies, satellites, space experiments, and 3D printing.
Sunita said a new space race is indeed underway, but the goal should be for humanity to return to the Moon in a sustainable, productive, and democratic way. She said that coming to India feels like coming home, as her father was from Jhulasan village in Mehsana district of Gujarat.
Sunita said, "There is a space race going on, but it's a race about how we return to the Moon. We want to go there in a sustainable way, so that rules are established and different countries can work together, just like in Antarctica."
Sunita also said that India is making its mark in the space program, and she would like to be a part of it.
Space travel changed her outlook
Reflecting on how space travel changed her outlook, Sunita Williams said, “It really makes you feel like we are just one. Differences between people seem far smaller when seen from orbit.Every person I know is there, every animal, every plant, everything we know is there."
She said further, "We're all in this one little space in our solar system, and I think it changes your perception about us having any differences. It really makes you feel like we are just one and we all should probably work a little bit closer and easier together."
Sunita Williams is like a member: Kalpana Chawla's mother
Sunita Williams also met with the late astronaut Kalpana Chawla's 90-year-old mother, Sanyogita Chawla, and sister, Deepa. Williams stepped down from the stage and went to where Chawla's mother was sitting in the front row, embracing her warmly.
Kalpana Chawla's mother said that Sunita Williams is like a member of their family. After the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, Williams visited their home for about three months, providing support to the entire family during their time of grief. Sanyogita Chawla said that Kalpana and Sunita inspired each other to excel in their shared profession.