• In 2008, she was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in the field of Science and Engineering.

About Sunita Williams:
Profile: She was born on September 19, 1965, in Ohio, the United States of America (USA). She is a former Navy officer of the USA, who became one of NASA’s most experienced and accomplished space explorers.
Space Career: In 1998, She was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate. She trained in spacecraft systems, robotics, T-38 jet flight, survival training, and Russian space operations, preparing for long-duration missions to the International Space Station (ISS). She trained in Russia on the ISS program and worked on the station’s robotic arms.
Space Expeditions: She completed three space missions during her 27-year career: Expedition 14/15, Expedition 32/33 aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test mission.
Achievements & Records:
Time in Space: She has logged 608 days in space across her three missions, making her second on NASA’s list for cumulative time in orbit.

• She is jointly ranked sixth for the longest single spaceflight by an American, alongside NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, with both spending 286 days in space during the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions.

Spacewalks: She performed nine spacewalks totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes, the most spacewalk time by a woman and fourth overall in NASA history.
First Marathon in Space: During her first mission, she ran the first marathon ever in space on a treadmill aboard the ISS, completing the Boston Marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers (kms).