NAME: Sunita L. Williams (Commander, USN)
NASA Astronaut
PERSONAL
DATA: Born
September 19, 1965 in Euclid, Ohio, but considers Needham, Massachusetts to be
her hometown. Married to Michael J. Williams.
Although
they have no children, Labrador retrievers and a crazy Jack Russell Terrier
named Gorby have added their share of excitement to their lives. Recreational
interests include running, swimming, biking, triathlons, windsurfing,
snowboarding and bow hunting. Her parents, Dr. Deepak and Mrs. Bonnie Pandya,
reside in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
EDUCATION: Needham High School, Needham, Massachusetts, 1983. B.S., Physical Science, U.S. Naval Academy, 1987.
M.S., Engineering Management, Florida Institute of Technology, 1995.
ORGANIZATIONS: Society of Experimental Test
Pilots, Society of Flight Test Engineers, American Helicopter Association.
SPECIAL
HONORS: Awarded
Navy Commendation Medal (2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal,
Humanitarian Service Medal and various other service awards.
EXPERIENCE: Williams received her commission as
an Ensign in the United States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987.
After a
six-month temporary assignment at the Naval Coastal System Command, she
received her designation as a Basic Diving Officer and then reported to Naval
Aviation Training Command. She was designated a Naval Aviator in July 1989. She
then reported to Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 3 for initial H46,
Seaknight, training.
Upon
completion of this training, she was assigned to Helicopter Combat Support
Squadron 8 in Norfolk, Virginia, and made overseas deployments to the
Mediterranean, Red Sea and the Persian Gulf in support of Desert Shield and
Operation Provide Comfort.
In
September 1992 she was the Officer-in-Charge of an H-46 detachment sent to Miami, Florida for Hurricane Andrew Relief Operations onboard USS Sylvania. Williams was
selected for United States Naval Test Pilot School and began the course in
January 1993.
After
graduation in December 1993, she was assigned to the Rotary Wing Aircraft Test
Directorate as an H-46 Project Officer, and V-22 Chase Pilot in the T-2. While
there she was also assigned as the squadron Safety Officer and flew test
flights in the SH-60B/F, UH-1, AH-1W, SH-2, VH-3, H-46, CH-53 and the H-57.
In December
1995, she went back to the Naval Test Pilot School as an Instructor in the
Rotary Wing Department and the school's Safety Officer. There she flew the
UH-60, OH-6 and the OH-58. From there she was assigned to the USS Saipan
(LHA-2), Norfolk, Virginia, as the Aircraft Handler and the Assistant Air Boss.
Williams was deployed onboard USS Saipan when she was selected for the
astronaut program.
She has
logged over 2770 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.
NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in June 1998, she
reported for training in August 1998.
Astronaut
Candidate Training included orientation briefings and tours, numerous
scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and
International Space Station systems, physiological training and ground school
to prepare for T-38 flight training, as well as learning water and wilderness
survival techniques.
Following a
period of training and evaluation, Williams worked in Moscow with the Russian Federal
Space Agency on the Russian contribution to the International Space
Station and with the first
Expedition crew to the ISS.
Following
the return of Expedition 1, Williams has worked within the Robotics branch on
the ISS Robotic Arm and the follow on Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. As
a NEEMO
2 crewmember she lived underwater in the Aquarius habitat for 9 days. She is
currently assigned to the Expedition-14 crew. She will join Expedition 14
in progress, to serve as a flight engineer, after traveling to the
International Space Station with the crew aboard STS-116.
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