Sunita Williams Sends Diwali Greetings From Space. This Is What She Said — Watch

Williams expressed her gratitude to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their participation in Diwali festivities at the White House.

Williams has been aboard the International Space Station since June 6, 2023.

Source : NASA

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams sent Diwali greetings from the International Space Station where she is stuck after Boeing's faulty Starliner spacecraft was declared unfit for human travel by NASA. "Greetings from the ISS," she said in a heartfelt video message that was played during the Diwali celebration at the White House.

"I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating today at the White House and around the world," Williams said. 

#WATCH | Washington DC | White House Diwali Celebrations | NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams shares a video message on Diwali from the International Space Station.

She says, "Greetings from the ISS. I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating… pic.twitter.com/YEv3wNAxW9

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2024

Williams expressed her gratitude to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their participation in Diwali festivities at the White House.

"This year I have the unique opportunity to celebrate Diwali from 260 miles above the earth on the ISS...My father kept and shared his cultural roots by teaching us about Diwali and other Indian festivals. Diwali is a time of joy as goodness in the world prevails... Thank You to the President and the Vice President for celebrating Diwali with our community today and for recognising the many contributions of our community," Williams said in the video message.

Williams has been aboard the International Space Station since June 6, 2023, after launching with astronaut Butch Wilmore on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Williams and Wilmore will now return only in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. She also celebrated her 59th birthday at the International Space Station.

Biden, who lit the formal diya in the Blue Room of the White House, said the South Asian American community has enriched every part of American life.

"On this day in America, we think about that journey of light. Early in our nation's founding, A generation before diya, in the shadow of suspicion, now in a time Diwali is celebrated openly and proudly here in the White House. We also know today we face an inflection point," Biden was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.