Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 5, 2024, celebrated her 59th birthday there on Wednesday, September 19, 2024. This is her second birthday in space due to delays in her return caused by technical problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

When Sunita Williams Celebrated Her First Birthday in Space

Williams celebrated her first birthday in space during her second extended mission on Expedition 32/33, which lasted from July 14 to November 18, 2012. Williams turned 47 in September 2012 while aboard the ISS. During this mission, she conducted numerous scientific experiments, participated in spacewalks, and engaged in space exploration.

A Glance at Her Space Milestones

Sunita Williams has an illustrious career with numerous achievements in space exploration:

1. Longest Spacewalk Record: She held the record for the longest cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut until it was recently surpassed. Her contributions during these extravehicular activities have been crucial to the maintenance and upgrades of the ISS.
2. First Marathon in Space: In 2007, she became the first person to run a marathon in space, participating in the Boston Marathon while on the ISS. This feat demonstrated her dedication to fitness and served as an inspiring message about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, even in microgravity conditions.
3. Expedition Leader: Williams has taken on leadership roles during her missions, guiding her team through complex tasks and ensuring the success of scientific and logistical operations. Her experience and expertise make her one of NASA’s most trusted astronauts.

What’s Next in Sunita Williams’ Way Back Home?

The astronauts are now scheduled to return in February 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule. This is part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission, planned following the issues with the Starliner.

Celebrities Joined to Wish Sunita Williams Happy Birthday

While aboard the ISS, Sunita Williams received a unique gift from a well-known music company for her 59th birthday. The Indian music label Saregama organized a star-studded rendition of the classic birthday song “Bar Bar Din Ye Aaye” by legendary singer Mohammed Rafi.

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The label shared a video featuring several Bollywood celebrities, including Karan Johar, singers Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Hariharan, and Neeti Mohan, performing the song for Sunita Williams on its official Instagram handle.

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The post also invites people to join in wishing Sunita Williams by creating videos and sharing them with the hashtag #HappyBirthdaySunita.

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Saregama’s official Instagram features veteran actor Jeetendra Kapoor. He sings the song from the music video he starred in. The caption states, “The OG Star from Farz, Jeetendra wishing in his own unique style.”

Another video circulating online features music icons Shankar Mahadevan, Anup Jalota, Salim Merchant, Ila Arun, Haricharan Seshadri, and Shraddha Pandit. Each artist wishes Sunita Williams a happy birthday with their renditions of “Bar Bar Din Ye Aaye.”