Sunita Williams, the second woman after Kalpana Chawla is all ready to board for her space mission by seventh of December with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Flight engineer Williams will join six other crews as Discovery lifts off at 9.36 pm on in the third launch of the year and the fourth since the Columbia disaster killed seven astronauts, including Indian-born Kalpana Chawla, in 2003.
Bill Gerstenmaier, Nasa’s associate administrator on Wednesday announced the commencement of the 20th flight to the International Space Station on a 12-day mission.
Then followed a two-day flight readiness review at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida generally its carried out two weeks earlier to the opening of the launch window for each space shuttle mission.
The crew assesses all activities and elements essential for the secure and booming performance of shuttle mission operations in detail.
Biography:
Williams, was born on 19th of September 1965 in Euclid, Ohio. Her recreational interests include running, swimming, biking, triathlons, windsurfing, snowboarding and bow hunting. Her parents, Dr. Deepak and Mrs. Bonnie Pandya, reside in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Experience:
Williams received her charge as an Ensign in the United States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987 and was nominated as a Naval Aviator in July 1989.
She then reported to Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 3 for initial H46. Upon completion of this training, she was allocated to Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 8 in Norfolk, Virginia.
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.
After graduation in December 1993, from United States Naval Test Pilot School, 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.
When she got recommended for the astronaut program she was deployed onboard USS Saipan.
Operations at NASA:
After the Columbia mishap, it became mandatory on the part of NASA to go in for three launches so that lucid images could be taken of the space shuttle’s external fuel tank in case foam falls off it.
The previous accident occurred because the foam broke off the tank and stroked Columbia’s wing at the lift off. Thus, the space agency required to begin launching shuttles at night to finish space station construction by 2010, when the shuttle program ends.
The peripheral tanks had suitable levels of foam loss during the last two lift-offs.
NASA managers also believe radar is enough to speck any pieces falling from Discovery’s tank and that two in-flight inspections would sense any damage.
Incase, the shuttle damages during lift off, astronauts could seek protection at the space station while awaiting a rescue flight.
If the launch does not happen on December 7, NASA can keep trying through December 17.
