Needham Astronaut Picked For Commercial Spacecraft Mission

Needham native Sunita Williams is going back to space, NASA announced Friday.

Williams is one of nine astronauts named to the team which will test fly and perform missions on two American-made, commercial spacecraft to and from the International Space Station. The crew will use the Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, with Williams assigned to the mission team for the Starliner, according to NASA. Both crafts meet NASA's safety and performance requirements,

“Today, our country’s dreams of greater achievements in space are within our grasp,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a release. “This accomplished group of American astronauts, flying on new spacecraft developed by our commercial partners Boeing and SpaceX, will launch a new era of human spaceflight. Today’s announcement advances our great American vision and strengthens the nation’s leadership in space.”

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Williams graduated from Needham High School in 1983 before earning a Bachelor's degree in physical science from the Naval Academy in 1987 and a master's degree in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.

Williams retired from the Navy as a captain and was selected to be an astronaut in 1998. She spent 322 days aboard the International Space Station, commanded the space station and performed seven spacewalks. With 50 hours and 40 minutes, she is second among female astronauts for cumulative time spent on spacewalks.

In 2007, Williams competed in the Boston Marathon from space by running on the ISS' treadmill.

Needham's newest elementary school, the Sunita L. Williams School, is named after her and is scheduled to open for the 2019-20 school year.

The mission returns astronaut launches to the U.S. for the first time since 2011. The launches are targeted for mid-2019.

Image via NASA