New Delhi: Astronaut Sunita Williams said that coming to India feels like returning home, noting that her father was born in India. She was speaking at an interaction held at the American Centre in Delhi.

Williams said competition in the space sector is already under way and that the goal is to send humans sustainably to the Moon. During the one-and-a-half-hour interaction, she shared details of her space missions and her experiences during her days aboard the International Space Station.

Responding to a question on whether privatisation could trigger competition in the space sector, she said competition has already begun. She pointed out that India is also part of this effort, including attempts to send an Indian to the Moon. She also showcased visuals from the International Space Station.
 

Williams said she was disappointed that she was not on the International Space Station when Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla arrived there. She reiterated that the objective is to return to the Moon in a sustainable manner that allows countries to work together.

She also referred to India’s plans to establish the Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and to send its first astronaut to the Moon by 2040. Increased private participation in the space sector would generate more employment opportunities, she added.