After announcing her retirement, veteran NASA astronaut Sunita Williams — one of the two astronauts stuck for months at the International Space Station (ISS) — has come to IIT-Delhi to deliver for an inspirational lecture titled ‘The Making of an Astronaut: Sunita Williams’ Story’, offering students and faculty a vivid glimpse into her life in space and her recent mission during Expeditions 71 and 72, as per a statement by IIT-Delhi.
During her address, Williams reflected on the evolving landscape of human spaceflight, calling it “a very exciting time in human space exploration”. “Every new project has its ups and downs, but each one teaches us something and prepares us better for what comes next,” she said. Emphasising the importance of observation and simplicity in solving complex problems, she noted that space missions often involve multiple systems and redundancies, but solutions can sometimes be surprisingly straightforward.
The lecture marked the inaugural edition of the Prof VN Vazirani Institute Lecture, instituted in memory of the late Prof. V. N. Vazirani by his sons, Vijay Vazirani and Umesh Vazirani.
Read | ‘What the University of Chicago taught me about thinking, not just studying’ : Life in a Foreign University
Inviting the audience to imagine life without gravity, Williams explained how microgravity deepens understanding of materials, medicine and human behaviour. “When you take gravity away, you start to understand ourselves and the universe better,” she said.
The talk was followed by a fireside chat moderated by Prof. Shilpi Sharma, Associate Dean for Academic Outreach and New Initiatives, who drew upon questions from the IIT Delhi community to explore Williams’ personal journey. She spoke about her childhood, discipline as a student-athlete, teamwork, and the challenges of long-duration space missions.
Reflecting on teamwork, Williams said, “When you work as a team towards a common objective, you stop thinking only about individual success.” She also shared a lighter moment from space, recalling how opening a package of Indian food aboard the spacecraft became memorable because it was shared with her crewmates. “Food has a way of bringing people together, even in orbit,” she said.
Story continues below this ad
Earlier in the day, Williams met Director Prof. Banerjee, who highlighted IIT Delhi’s growing footprint in space technology and its ongoing collaborations with ISRO.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
