Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams makes history: First woman to pilot spacecraft on test flight

Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams has made history as the first woman to pilot a brand-new spacecraft on its maiden crewed test flight to space. At 58, Williams launched on June 5 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule, accompanied by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore.

This mission, as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, faced numerous delays but finally took off at 10:52 am EDT (Eastern Daylight time). The Starliner, carried by a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41, aims to earn certification for rotational missions ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Starliner previously flew two uncrewed orbital flights, including a test to and from the space station, along with a pad abort demonstration.

"Two bold NASA astronauts are well on their way on this historic first test flight of a brand-new spacecraft,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Boeing’s Starliner marks a new chapter of American exploration. Human spaceflight is a daring task – but that’s why it’s worth doing. It’s an exciting time for NASA, our commercial partners, and the future of exploration. Go Starliner, Go Butch and Suni!"

Williams' achievement on this Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission marks her third journey into space, adding to her illustrious career. With 322 days in orbit, she holds records for the most spacewalks (seven) and longest spacewalk time (50 hours, 40 minutes) by a woman, accomplishments from her previous ISS expeditions in 2006-2007 and 2012.

Before launching her NASA career in 1998, Williams earned a bachelor's degree in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and a master's degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. Throughout her career, she has accumulated over 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft. Williams comes from a multicultural heritage, being born to an Indian-American father from Gujarat and a Slovenian-American mother.

Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston says, "Flying crew on Starliner represents over a decade of work by the Commercial Crew Program and our partners at Boeing and ULA. For many of us, this is a career-defining moment bringing on a new crew transportation capability for our agency and our nation. We are going to take it one step at a time, putting Starliner through its paces, and remaining vigilant until Butch and Suni safely touch down back on Earth at the conclusion of this test flight."

The Starliner, carrying Williams, Wilmore, and over 500 pounds of cargo, is set to dock with the ISS approximately 26 hours post-liftoff. The astronauts will spend about a week aboard, conducting essential tests to validate Starliner’s systems before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere and making a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States on June 10.