Former NASA astronaut Sunita Williams shared a deeply personal reflection on family, identity and belonging during an interactive session at the American Center in New Delhi, marking one of the most touching moments of her recent visit to India.
Remembering her Indian roots
Speaking candidly, Williams recalled her late father, Deepak Pandya, who hailed from Jhulasan village in Gujarat. Pandya, a respected neuroanatomist, passed away in the United States in 2020 at the age of 88. His academic journey began at Gujarat University, before he moved to the US for higher studies and a distinguished teaching career.
Williams spoke with pride about her father’s journey and the values he passed on, describing how her Indian roots have always remained close to her heart, even while orbiting hundreds of kilometres above Earth.
Looking for ‘home’ from space
During the fireside chat, Williams shared a rare astronaut’s perspective on emotions in space. “One of the first things you do when you get to space is look for home,” she said, explaining how she searched for places that shaped her identity.
Having grown up in Massachusetts, with a father from India and a mother from Slovenia, Williams said she often looked for all these regions while gazing at Earth from orbit, calling them her “immediate home”.
Family, legacy and inspiration
Williams also briefly spoke about her mother, Ursuline Bonnie Zalokar, who resides in Massachusetts and has remained calm and resilient even during challenging phases of her daughter’s space missions.
She later met the family of late astronaut Kalpana Chawla, underlining the enduring bond between Indian-origin space pioneers.
A message that resonated
Her reflections struck a chord with audiences, especially young students and science enthusiasts, highlighting that even among stars and satellites, family, roots and memories continue to define one’s sense of belonging.