• Source:JND
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NASA astronaut Sunita Williams shared details about her first moments after returning to Earth from space during a press conference on Tuesday. Opening up about her food cravings, she revealed that her first meal was a grilled cheese sandwich, a dish that always reminded her of home and her vegetarian father.

"Food, that is home… something that reminds me of home… my father was a vegetarian, so I had a good grilled cheese sandwich when I got home. It reminded me of him," Williams said.

She also spoke about the physical challenges of readjusting to gravity, describing the nausea and disorientation astronauts experience after space travel. "Your nervous system is still reeling in the first 24-48 hours. But having gone up twice before, I knew I had to push through all of it. Take a shower, make yourself walk down a line to train those smaller muscles," she explained.

Reuniting With Family 

Williams described her emotional reunion with her husband, Michael Williams, and her pet dogs upon her return. While she was happy to be back, she admitted it was difficult to adjust after an extended space mission.

"Of course, we heard some things from our friends and families, and people were interested in what was going on and concerned about our health and all that stuff while we were up there. We were just part of the team, doing the job, filling in wherever we could," she said.

Her husband has been curious about her future plans. "My husband keeps asking me—What’s next? Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? It’s really difficult to be in a place once you’ve come back from space," she admitted. "Fortunately or unfortunately for my family, my bucket list has gotten bigger."

Admiration for India and Plans to Meet ISRO

Reflecting on her space journey, Williams fondly spoke about the beauty of India, particularly when flying over the Himalayas. "India is amazing, every time we went over the Himalayas, it was beautiful," she shared.

As India is her father’s homeland, she expressed her intention to connect with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and share her experiences. "I will meet up with people there and share our experiences," she stated.

Addressing Starliner Issues 

In their first news conference since returning to Earth, Williams and fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore addressed concerns about Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Despite facing issues that temporarily left them stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), both astronauts expressed confidence in the spacecraft and their willingness to fly on the Starliner again.