Sunita Williams (born September 19, 1965) is a United States Naval officer and a NASA astronaut.
She was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and then joined Expedition 15. She holds the record of the longest spaceflight (195 days) for female space travelers.
She was selected to appear on the Colbert Report to announce the name for Node 3 of the ISS.
She was born in Euclid, Ohio to Dr. Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya. Her parents now reside in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Deepak Pandya is a famous neuroanatomist.
Williams is married to Michael Williams. The two have been married for more than 20 years, and both flew helicopters in the early days of their careers. Her recreational interests include running, swimming, biking, triathlons, windsurfing, snowboarding and bow hunting. She is an avid Boston Red Sox fan. She has a pet Jack Russell Terrier named Gorby.
Williams' roots on her father's side go back to Gujarat in India and she has been to India to visit her father's family. She is also of Slovene descent from her mother's side.
Sunita Williams attended Needham High School in Needham, Massachusetts, graduating in 1983. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987, and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.
