ADVERTISEMENTs
.png)
Sunita Williams witnesses 16 sunrises and sunsets on New Year aboard ISS
Sharing the news on X, the ISS said, “As 2024 comes to a close, the Exp 72 crew saw 16 sunrises and sunsets while soaring into the New Year. Seen here are several sunsets pictured over the years from the orbital outpost.”
Sunita Williams on ISS / Image- NASA
Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams welcomed 2025 aboard the International Space Station (ISS), experiencing 16 sunrises and sunsets as the station orbits Earth every 90 minutes.
Sharing the news on X, the ISS said, “As 2024 comes to a close, the Exp 72 crew saw 16 sunrises and sunsets while soaring into the New Year. Seen here are several sunsets pictured over the years from the orbital outpost.”
Williams, who docked at the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft with astronaut Barry Wilmore, has extended her stay far beyond the originally planned nine-day mission. She spent both Christmas and New Year in orbit due to mission delays.
As 2024 comes to a close today, the Exp 72 crew will see 16 sunrises and sunsets while soaring into the New Year. Seen here are several sunsets pictured over the years from the orbital outpost. pic.twitter.com/DdlvSCoKo1
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) December 31, 2024
In a video shared by NASA, Williams reflected on celebrating the holidays in space, saying, “Welcome to the International Space Station as we get ready for the Christmas holidays. It’s a great time up here; we get to spend it with all of our 'family' on the International Space Station. There are seven of us up here and so we’re going to get to enjoy company together.” The crew was seen donning Santa hats, part of holiday supplies delivered by NASA via SpaceX's Dragon capsule.
Williams and Wilmore are now scheduled to return to Earth in March 2025. Their return, initially planned for February, was postponed due to delays in the launch of SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission, which will relieve the current crew.
As she embarks on the New Year in orbit, Williams has described the experience as "a great time to be up here," marking yet another unique chapter in her distinguished career as an astronaut.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
.jpg)
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login