‘I would love to go back to space’

HYDERABAD: NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has expressed her desire to again go to space. "The six-month stay aboard the International Space Station has been an amazing experience, both in terms of space exploration and philosophical awakening," she said, during an interaction with the media.

Sunita, who was present at the concluding day of the International Astronautical Congress, remarked that given a chance she would love to be a part of a manned mission to Mars as well. "It is hard to describe how beautiful our planet looks from above," she said. She also added that, along with the beauty, the thing that hits you the most is the fact that our planet is without any borders and that the national borders exist only on paper.

"I was reminded of Mahatma Gandhi who used to say about borderless world. You immediately realise that you belong to the world and not to a particular nation," Sunita said.

When asked whether she was determined to become an astronaut from childhood, Sunita replied she was influenced by the exploits of Magellan and Columbus. "I had never been into science fiction. The stories of explorers, who would risk their lives in order to find new places, fascinated me," she said.

Sunita also talked about the the risks involved in going to space. "Space exploration obviously carries some risks. However, as an astronaut, I never bother myself about these things," she said.