Kozhikode, Jan 23: Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams urged humanity to rethink conflict and embrace unity, reflecting on life on Earth from the unique perspective of space. Speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode, she highlighted how, from orbit, national boundaries disappear and the planet appears as one shared home.
Addressing the gathering, Williams said there was little meaning in fighting with one another, as Earth appears as a single shared home when viewed from space. “We all live together on one planet. It’s hard to think about why humans fight and oppose each other. We are supposed to coexist on this earth,” she said.
Highlighting the perspective astronauts gain in space, she added, “When we look from space, we see only one place where we all live and there are no national boundaries.”
Later in the evening, Sunita Williams spoke at a session titled “Dreams Reach Orbit: Meet the Astronaut Who Touched the Sky”. Describing the experience of viewing Earth from space, she said, “The opportunity to be up in space and look back at Earth, the marvel of the planet and the fact that all these miracles exist right here with every individual being a miracle in themselves ,make one to pause for a moment and wonder how did it all happen.”
When asked about spirituality and her decision to take a Ganesha idol and a copy of the Bhagavad Gita into space, Williams said there must be a higher power behind human existence. “There has got to be a greater power that allowed all of us to be here today, to be here every single day on this planet. So, I don’t think it is separate and it is okay to think about spirituality, its okay to think about science,” she said.
Sunita Williams also remarked that it felt symbolic for her to be in India at the time her retirement was announced, as it gave her an opportunity to share a message of inspiration.
Williams arrived in Kozhikode on Wednesday night and is scheduled to participate in multiple events at the festival until January 25. On Friday morning, she will interact with children at the Children’s KLF session titled “Once Upon a Time in Space”, moderated by actress Rima Kallingal. On January 25, she will take part in a conversation titled “Astronaut’s Odyssey”, moderated by journalist Barkha Dutt.
Sunita Williams had recently been in the spotlight after she and her team, who travelled to the International Space Station on a test mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, were stranded for several months due to technical issues with the vehicle. During that period, Williams made headlines worldwide as an astronaut of Indian origin.