Watch: When Sunita Williams, Stuck In Space, Celebrated Paris Olympics Kickoff With Other ISS Astronauts

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and fellow ISS crewmates celebrated the 2024 Paris Olympics with sports stunts in space, performing gymnastic steps, weightlifting, and other athletic feats.

Screengrab from a video of Sunita Williams shared by NASA.

Source : NASA

Paris Olympics 2024: Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been suck in space on board the International Space Station (ISS) for over 50 days now, celebrated the beginning of the Paris Olympics 2024. In a video released by NASA, she can the other astronauts on ISS performed different sports stunts to wish good luck to the atheletes participating in the games. While Williams performed gymnastic steps, fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, who is also awaiting return to Earth, appeared to play shot-put in space.  

Williams and Wilmore reached the ISS on June 6, for an intended 10-day mission, but have been unable to return due to technical issues in the Starliner spacecraft that was supposed to bring them back to Earth. They are performing usual and specific "ISS duties" ever since even as NASA engineers try to repair the Boeing Starliner still docked at the space station.    

The astronauts, meanwhile, tried to "push boundaries" to kick off the 2024 Olympics from space, floating in the nearly zero-gravity environment 400 km above Paris. 

"Let the games begin! Athletes from across the world are gathering today to kick off the 2024 #Olympics – pushing boundaries and inspiring generations. If you were an Olympic athlete, which sport would you play?" NASA shared on X (formerly Twitter), posting a video shot on board the space station.

In the video, Sunita Williams can be seen catching an electronic version of the Olympic torch and doing somersaults, besides gymnastics, while other astronauts are throwing 'discus' and performing weightlifting manoeuvres.

Let the games begin!

Athletes from across the world are gathering today to kick off the 2024 #Olympics – pushing boundaries and inspiring generations. If you were an Olympic athlete, which sport would you play? pic.twitter.com/mnFC3vpvly

— NASA (@NASA) July 26, 2024

Update On Boeing Starliner 

NASA has said a 'hot test' was conducted on the malfunctioning Starliner, and that the test revealed thrusters at peak performance and a stable helium system, boosting hopes for its safe return with the astronauts.

Meanwhile, Boeing noted that the Starliner could remain docked for up to 90 days, which leaves them with around six weeks to fix the issue or find an alternative to ensure the return of the astronauts.

NASA has earlier said repeatedly that contingencies are in place with spacecraft like SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Russia's Soyuz on standby.

NASA and Boeing are optimistic that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore might return before a new crew arrives on the ISS via SpaceX's Falcon-9 and Crew Dragon after August 18.