Humans arguing seems 'silly' when you look at Earth from space

Astronaut Sunita Williams said space travel has changed her perspective towards life in general, and the idea of humans arguing or having differences over issues seems so "silly" when you look at Earth as "one planet" from outer space.

Williams, 60, who recently retired from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is currently visiting India. She was speaking at an interactive session titled "Eyes on the Stars, Feet on the Ground," hosted at the American Center here.

During the conversation, she spoke about her most recent mission -- which saw an intended an eight-day test flight to the International Space Station (ISS) extend to over nine months due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft -- Williams described space travel as the ultimate "team sport", adding that countries need to work together as "this is our one planet, we are here together".

"When you get to space, I think everybody does this... we all want to look for our home. My father is from India and my mother is from Slovenia. So I'm obviously looking for these places to call home. And that's your first objective," she said. However, she noted that this initial search for a specific home eventually evolves into a broader realisation of the Earth's unity.

"Our planet is alive. Some people think there are just rocks out there, but it is moving. I could see seasons, changes in oceans' colours with algae blooms, for example, or seeing ice formations in the north, you know, in the high northern hemisphere or down near Antarctica," she said. She said looking at this beautiful, living planet from up there changes one's perspectives towards life.

"It changes one's perception about people having any differences. It makes you feel like we are just one, and we all should work closer and easier together," the astronaut said.