New Delhi: A video featuring astronaut Sunita Williams along with her space travel companion Butch Wilmore in the Boeing Starliner, celebrating their successful meetup with International Space Station, is going viral on social media. The Indian-origin astronaut, Sunita Williams has created history by becoming the first female astronaut to test and pilot a new spacecraft crewed by astronauts on its initial launch. Check out the video here Hugs all around! The Expedition 71 crew greets Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni aboard @Space_Station after #Starliner docked at 1:34 p.m. ET on June 6. pic.twitter.com/wQZAYy2LGH — Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 6, 2024 Sunita, renowned for carrying Bhagavad Gita and Lord Ganesh's idol in her previous spaceflight journey is all set to begin her third space tour on the International Space Station(ISS). The crewmates greeted Sunita and Butch with the traditional ringing of the bell upon their arrival at the ISS. Later, Sunita Williams shared her excitement through her welcome speech, saying, "That's the way to get things going." She also called her crew mates "another family" and thanked them for such a great welcome. Williams was given an opportunity to name the spacecraft, and she named it "Calyso" in tribute to the iconic ship which was used by the French oceanographer and filmmaker, Jacques-Yves Cousteau to explore the oceans. Listen to the @Space_Station crew's remarks welcoming #Starliner Crew Flight Test commander Butch Wilmore and pilot @Astro_Suni to ISS after entering today at 3:45 p.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/2TGVNQW89r — Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 6, 2024 Before launching, Sunita said that she felt a little anxious, but she clarified that she wasn't anxious to pilot a new spacecraft. She also added, "When I reach the International Space Station, it will be like going back home." After 26 hours of take-off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Sunita and Butch were finally able to link the Boeing spacecraft with the ISS. The duo watched the Starliner as it performed self-directed operations while gradually approaching the orbital researched platform, before docking. There were also a few mechanical issues and minor helium leaks which caused a delay of about an hour in docking.
