Although the space mission has been postponed indefinitely, Sunita Williams was supposedly carrying a Hindu idol with her for her third space journey, as per multiple reports.
Indian-origin astronaut, Sunita Williams would be in space right now if her third space mission hadn't been aborted at the last moment. Ninety minutes before the final lift-off, Sunita's third space flight was called off due to a technical glitch. However, ahead of her journey, Sunita opened up about her lucky charm and mentioned which Hindu idol, she was about to take with her on her space journey.
In an interview with NDTV, Sunita Williams opened up about being a bit superstitious. She mentioned that a Ganesh idol was her 'lucky charm'. Thus, she wished to carry it on her third space mission, launched by the US space agency NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station. As per multiple reports, Sunita has carried the Bhagavad Gita on her previous two missions.
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According to NASA, the launch of the Boeing Starliner has been postponed owing to a technical glitch. The officials revealed that a suspension was caused by an off-nominal problem on an oxygen relief valve at the Atlas V rocket launch. However, by that time, Sunita Williams and her colleague, Barry E. Wilmore were already ready for their takeoff. It was believed that Sunita's journey was scheduled from May 7, 2024, to May 15, 2024. But as of now, no certain developments have been known about the next space mission.
After Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were strapped to their seats preparing for liftoff, we can easily see how the sudden decision might have come as a shock to many as the space mission was cancelled. But NASA administrator, Bill Nelson took to his X handle (formerly Twitter) and mentioned that safety is the first important thing for the administration. His tweet can be read as:
"Standing down on tonight’s attempt to launch Starliner. As I’ve said before, NASA’s first priority is safety. We go when we’re ready."
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Born in Ohio, Sunita Williams was a test pilot in the Navy. Later, she rose to the rank of captain before retiring and gradually joining NASA. On December 9, 2006, Sunita embarked on her first mission to space, which ended on June 22, 2007. During her time aboard, she set a world record for completing four spacewalks, which took 29 hours and 17 minutes. Sunita's second voyage began on July 14 and ended on November 18, 2012.
What do you think about Sunita's wish to carry Lord Ganesh's idol with her on her third space mission? Let us know!
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