Sunita Williams to start her India trip today

Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams, who holds the world record for the longest spaceflight by a female astronaut, will start her India trip today from the national capital. Williams will visit the National Science Centre (NSC) in the national capital and interact with students and teachers. "The centre will host Sunita L. Williams (Captain, US Navy) and NASA astronaut . She will interact with a select group of students and teachers," an official of the NSC said. The astronaut will next fly to Mumbai and spend April 3-4 in the financial capital, before going to Gujarat.A Her father is from Gujarat's Mehsana district. In Mumbai, she will visit a working women's hostel managed by the Indian Council of Social Welfare in Chembur and talk to residents and students. She will hold another interactive session with school children at the Nehru Science Centre in Worli. Her final destination in India will be Gujarat, where she is expected to meet relatives and pay a visit to her ancestral village. Williams, who was bestowed an honorary doctorate degree by the Gujarat Technical University, will address students there. Williams last visited India in Oct 2007, when she gave a talk at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai. Williams holds the world record with 50 hours and 40 minutes for total cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut. In addition, she has spent a total of 322 days in space (on two missions) and now ranks sixth on the US endurance list and second for a female astronaut. - IANS