Sunita Williams who is a Hindu by religion has safely landed on earth but not many people are aware of the fact that this woman astronaut is married to husband Michael J Williams
After a more than nine-month journey, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Indian American Sunita Williams returned to Earth early on Wednesday. A splashdown off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, signalled their homecoming.
The astronauts were on board SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which had just hours before left the International Space Station (ISS) and successfully returned to Earth’s atmosphere. The last part of their journey, however, required crucial actions, manoeuvres, and circumstances that needed to be carefully controlled before they could return safely.
Who is Michael J Williams, husband of astronaut Sunita Williams, biography, age, wife, family, children, job and religion
The Love Story of Sunita Williams and Michael J. Williams: From Friendship to Marriage#MichaelJWilliams #SunitaWilliams #NASA #Astronauts #LoveStory #HelicopterPilot #USMarshal #SpaceExploration #World pic.twitter.com/6EdJJesmeS
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Their SpaceX Dragon capsule made a terrifying drop through extreme heat and a fast re-entry before landing in the Gulf of Mexico. Michael J. Williams has always been by the side of Sunita Williams.
For more than twenty years, Sunita Williams has been married to Michael J. Williams, who is a federal marshal in Texas. The pair originally met in 1987 at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland as before joining NASA, Sunita served in the military, where she flew helicopters.
They were both enrolled at the academy at the same time, and because Sunita Williams had previously served as a naval aviator, their shared love of helicopters led to their close bond. After dating for a few years, their connection blossomed into love, and they were married in a private ceremony. Their current headquarters are in Houston, Texas.
Michael J. Williams, the husband of the highly renowned NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, is a federal marshal, former helicopter pilot and while is DOB isn’t known, he is aged between 55-65 years while his wife Sunita is aged 59. Sunita’s father, Deepak Pandya, was from Gujarat, India, and her mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya, was of Slovene origin and she considers Needham, Massachusetts, as her hometown.
Instead of having children, Sunita and Michael J. Williams are parents to four dogs, Bailey, Rotor, Gunner, and Gorby (a Jack Russell terrier). Notably, Michael Williams said in a Wall Street Journal interview last year that his wife considers space to be “her happy place.”
They had their beloved pet Jack Russell terrier, Gorby. Gorby even made appearances alongside Sunita on the television show “Dog Whisperer” on the National Geographic Channel.
Michael reportedly practices Hinduism and supports his wife’s religious beliefs.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s space trip
For those who don’t know, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s space trip in June 2024 was originally planned to last eight days. However, Williams and Wilmore had to spend 286 days in zero gravity because to technical issues with Boeing Starliner. Notably, with nine spacewalks totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes, Sunita Williams is the fourth most experienced spacewalker overall and the most experienced woman.
Before splashdown, the spacecraft carrying these two slowed down using a parachute system. Six parachutes were part of the system; two drogue parachutes were used to stabilize the capsule upon its re-entry into the atmosphere. As the spacecraft got closer to the ocean, four major parachutes were released to further slowdown. The parachutes’ combined function allowed them to reach the intended speed of 16 miles per hour at the moment of splashdown.
Welcome back, #SunitaWilliams and crew!
Space travel is never easy, but true explorers like you embody the spirit of embracing the unknown.
After spending nine long months in space, you’ve finally touched down safely.
Although the journey lasted longer than planned, your… pic.twitter.com/8Zo8m1Xd0g
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) March 19, 2025