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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline MAY 10, 2024 | The Indian Eye 40

SUNITA WILLIAMS

Astronaut is set to conquer space

-- a third time!

S unita Williams, as part of two

astronauts’
member
NASA
team, is set to make history as
the first member aboard Boeing’s
Starliner spacecraft to the Interna-
tional Space Station.
ican Gods,” and “Good Omens,” expressed his enthusiasm for collaborat- NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight
ing with Sharad Devarajan and his team on “Cinnamon.” Together, they aim Test (CFT) is an exciting mission
to transport audiences to a world of magic, wonder, and eternal truths. The that will transport astronauts Butch
transformative power of compassion and the resilience of the human spirit Wilmore and Sunita Williams to
lies at the heart of this captivating journey. the International Space Station
The screenplay adaptation for the animated movie involves not only (ISS) aboard Boeing’s Starliner
Gaiman but also Sarena Khan and Sujatha SV. The film is directed by ac- spacecraft. The launch is scheduled
claimed Indian animator, Jeevan J Kang. to take place from Space Launch
This enchanting tale portrays the transformative journey of, Cinnamon, Complex-41 at Cape Canaver-
a young princess born with pearl eyes that render her blind to the physical al Space Force Station in Flori-
world. Her destiny takes a profound turn when a mysterious talking tiger ap- da. This mission marks the first crewed flight of the Starliner spacecraft,
pears, offering to guide her through the wonders and trials of the wild. and it’s a significant milestone for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
As part of the final flight test for Starliner, NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight
DONALD LU Test will validate the transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket,
spacecraft, in-orbit operational capabilities, and return to Earth with astro-
US Diplomat interacts with nauts aboard. The NASA astronauts will stay for about one week aboard the
space station. The Starliner and crew will land under parachutes and an air-
members of Jain community bag-assisted landing in the western United States.
Sunita Williams will be the pilot for the flight test. Williams has spent 322
days in space across two missions namely Expedition 14/15 in 2006 through
ssistant Secretary of South and 2007, and Expedition 32/33 in 2012. The Massachusetts native has also con-
Central Asia Donald Lu visited ducted seven spacewalks, totaling 50 hours and 40 minutes.
Athe Southern California Jain Before joining NASA in 1998, Williams graduated with her bachelor’s
temple and had a meeting with mem- degree in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Mary-
bers of the local Jain community. The land, before obtaining her master’s degree in Engineering Management from
US diplomat has had a meeting with the Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne. In total, she has logged more
the members of the Jain community than 3,000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft.
in Los Angeles, as part of the efforts
of the US State Department to inter- ERIC GARCETTI
act with the Indian-American diaspo-
ra, which plays a critical role in the US envoy assures safety
ties between the two countries.
During the meeting, Lu ex-
pressed gratitude for the opportunity of Indian students
to connect with the Jain communi-
ty in Southern California, acknowledging its significant contributions to the he United States is a safe coun-
broader Los Angeles area. He emphasized the vital role of Indian-Americans try and “cares deeply” for the
in strengthening the relationship between the US and India, stating, “Indi- Twell-being of Indian students,
an-Americans are the backbone of our strong relationship with India. It was US ambassador Eric Garcetti said
wonderful to connect with the Jain community in Southern California and on Friday against the backdrop of
learn about their many contributions to the wider Los Angeles area.” the death of nearly half a dozen Indi-
Ajay Jain Bhutoria, US President’s Advisor on the Asian American and an and Indian-origin students in the
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Commissioner; JAINA past US this year. According to the US
president Mahesh Wadher and Jain temple president Sameer Shah, were embassy, the number of Indian stu-
among the Jain leaders present. During the visit, Shah, Wadher and the tem- dents in the US hit an all-time high of
ple executive team provided invaluable insights to Lu into Jainism, its food 268,923 in the academic year 2022-23.
practices, philosophy of non-violence, Lord Mahavir’s message of peace, “We care so deeply for the
compassion and non-violence, the Jain way of fasting traditions, and the com- well-being of Indian students in the
munity outreach and philanthropy work carried out by JAINA and the Jain US. We want parents to know that
temple to support individuals both locally in Los Angeles and in other parts their children are our children when
of the US and abroad, in places like India and Nigeria. they are in the US. And there is a wealth of resources that can help students
Bhutoria expressed his appreciation for the State Department team’s visit prepare...in the US, whether it is mental health...and resources for being far
to the Jain temple, highlighting the importance of Lord Mahavir’s message of away for home, parents and families,” he said to PTI.
promoting peace, non-violence and compassion. Bhutoria emphasized that The US envoy made the remarks focusing on the welfare of Indian stu-
the US-India relationship is the strongest under Continued on next page... >>

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