‘She Loves What She’s Doing:’ Sunita Williams’ Mom On Her Return To Earth

Bonnie Pandya, the mother of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, recently opened up in an interview about her daughter's extended stay at the International Space Station. Speaking to NewsNation, she expressed, "It's what they do. They like doing this and they are honoured to be able to go up on a long mission like this and, you know, they feel great about it." Although Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's extended stay was not anticipated, Pandya shared that such delays happen and the astronauts are happy to continue their work. It had taken three attempts before, so it might take some time now, she added.

Sunita Williams' Mom On Her Return

While Bonnie Pandya misses her Sunita Williams, she was happy for and proud of her work and resilience. "She's doing what she loves. So how could I feel sad about it or anything? I'm happy for her," she said. She added that she was not worried because Williams "knows what she is doing" and believed that space was as safe as anywhere else.

Pandya also spoke about the recent political speculations stirred by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who claimed that the Joe Biden administration had left Williams and Wilmore stranded in space. Dismissing these claims, she said, "This is science and they're doing what they normally do, and I don't think the two astronauts think it's politicised."

In an August 2024 interview with TMZ, Pandya expressed, “...I always want to make sure she’s safe before she comes back down... Honestly, I’m relieved they didn’t rush her return. There have already been two shuttle accidents, and I wouldn’t want that to happen to my daughter—or anyone else, for that matter. So, I believe it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been in space since June 2024. The astronauts took off for an eight-day mission but have been stuck for about eight months due to several technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. NASA has assured that the two astronauts are healthy and are expected to return to Earth on March 19 or 20.