Sunita Williams’ homecoming: Astronaut’s Gujarat roots traced to Jhulasan village—key details

With NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore finally returning to Earth after their prolonged nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the citizen engagement platform of Government of Gujarat took to X and shared some interesting facts about the Sunita Williams.

Born on 19 September 1965 in US' Ohio, Sunita's father Deepak Pandya migrated to the USA in 1957 where he met and married Ursuline Bonnie.

Taking to X, MyGovGujarat wrote, “Sunita Williams' roots in India hail to Jhulasan village in #Gujarat, as it was once home to her father and grandparents. The tiny village has a population of roughly 7000 people who are proud of the fact that the astronaut has a connection to their village.”

The body added, “Sunita Williams was born on 19 September 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, U.S. to Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya. Her father, Deepak Pandya, was a neuroscientist from Gujarat, India, who migrated to the USA in 1957, where he met and married Ursuline Bonnie.”

The ancestral village of Sunita Williams in Gujarat’s Mehsana district is preparing for grand celebrations on Wednesday morning as she returns to Earth after a nine-month stay aboard the ISS.

Residents of Jhulasan, the native village of Williams’ father, Deepak Pandya, have been fervently praying for her safe return. Special prayers and an Akhand Jyot (eternal flame) have been lit at the local temple of Goddess Dola Mata, symbolizing the community’s wishes for her well-being.

Sunita Williams homecoming update:

Williams and Butch Wilmore's were on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft to test its maiden crewed voyage in June 2024 and went on space expedition for a little over a week.

However, their Boeing Starliner suffered propulsion issues and was deemed unfit by the space administration to fly the duo astronauts back to Earth. Since then, Williams has been on the ISS, waiting for the replacement shuttle to land back on Earth.

Now, the astronauts finally departed the ISS on March 18, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. They are set to splash down off Florida's coast at 5:57 p.m. ET on Tuesday, which is 3:27 a.m. IST on Wednesday. Recovery teams will assist the astronauts before they head to Houston. Video coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. ET, or 2:15 a.m. IST on Wednesday.