Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams on Tuesday said that a new global space race is underway, but stressed that the objective should be a sustainable, productive and democratic return to the Moon, achieved through international cooperation. Speaking at an event in Delhi, Williams said the competition is not about who reaches the Moon first, but about how humanity returns there. “A space race is definitely on, but it’s about returning to the Moon in a sustainable way, where rules are set and countries can work together, much like Antarctica,” she said. Focusing on collaboration, she added that space travel is a “team sport” and nations must work together to ensure long-term benefits. Williams said that the commercialisation of space is essential, as it creates employment and boosts innovation in areas such as new technologies, satellites, space experiments and 3D printing. Reflecting on her experiences, she said seeing Earth from space gives a profound perspective. “When you look at Earth from space, you realise we are all one and should work together more closely,” she said. Also Read| Sunita Williams’ 17-hour journey in 17 PHOTOS Calling her visit to India “like coming home,” Williams recalled her roots in Gujarat, saying her father was from Jhulasan village in Mehsana district. In a lighter moment during an interaction with NDTV, she said she would like to go to the Moon but joked that her husband “would kill” her. She added that it is now time to return home, hand over responsibilities and allow the next generation to take the lead in space exploration. New technology required to reduce space debris: Williams Williams, 60, recently retired from NASA’s astronaut corps after an illustrious career spanning 608 days in space aboard three different rockets. She has completed nine spacewalks, spending a total of 62 hours outside spacecraft. She said options remain open for her to work in the private space sector. Recalling her time aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Williams spoke about the challenges of a mission that was originally planned for eight days but extended to more than nine months due to technical issues. Visuals of astronauts celebrating festivals with a multicultural crew on the ISS were also shared at the event. Williams returned to Earth on March 19 along with four other astronauts after spending nine months and 14 days on the ISS. She and astronaut Butch Wilmore had launched on an eight-day joint Crew Flight Test Mission of Boeing and NASA to test the Starliner spacecraft. The mission included research and multiple experiments, but a thruster malfunction led to the prolonged stay Addressing the growing problem of space debris, Williams said it has become a major challenge over the past decade and requires new technologies for management. She described the ISS as a crucial platform for testing such technologies. Also Read| Watch Sunita Williams’ spacewalk in action Williams met Kalpana Chawla’s family During her visit, Williams also met the family of late astronaut Kalpana Chawla. She stepped down from the stage to hug Chawla’s 90-year-old mother, Sanyogita Chawla, who was seated in the front row, and also met her sister, Deepa. Sanyogita Chawla said Williams is like a family member and recalled that after the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Williams stayed with their family for about three months, supporting them during their grief. She added that Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams inspired each other in their shared profession. Williams reiterated that space exploration has changed her outlook on life, reinforcing her belief in unity and global cooperation for humanity’s future in space.
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