New Delhi: Sunita Williams expressed her admiration for India’s beauty as seen from space, particularly emphasizing the Himalayas and the lively cities during a press conference following her mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
In 1984, Rakesh Sharma, India’s first astronaut, gazed down at his country from orbit and encapsulated his view with a line from Muhammad Iqbal’s poem, “Saare Jahaan Se Accha,” in response to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s inquiry in Hindi about how India appeared from space. Now, four decades later, Sunita Williams, an astronaut of Indian descent who recently completed a remarkable 286-day mission on the ISS, faced a similar question.
On Monday, when a reporter asked her to describe India from her vantage point in space, she responded promptly, stating, “India is amazing, just amazing,” as she recounted the stunning sight of the Himalayas.
“Each time we passed over the Himalayas, we captured incredible images. It resembled a ripple that flows down into India,” Williams elaborated during her first press conference back on Earth, alongside Butch Wilmore.
“I have previously described it as a ripple resulting from the collision of tectonic plates, which then flows into India, showcasing a multitude of colors. As you travel from the East into Gujarat and Mumbai, the fishing fleet off the coast serves as a welcoming beacon. Throughout India, my impression was of a vast network of lights, connecting larger cities to smaller ones, creating a breathtaking view both at night and during the day, with the Himalayas prominently framing the landscape as it descends into India,” she remarked.
