Indian-origin astronaut Williams breaks into impromptu dance

Houston: Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams broke into an impromptu dance as she entered the International Space Station and received the ‘Bell Rings’ welcome along with her colleague Butch Wilmore according to US Naval tradition.

Williams, 58, flew to space for the third time on Wednesday along with Wilmore, 61, scripting history as the first members aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). Williams is the pilot for the flight test while Wilmore is the commander of the mission.

Williams received her commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987 and was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998.

The Expedition 71 crew greeted Williams and Willmore aboard the ISS after Starliner docked at approximately 11:04 pm IST on Friday, about 26 hours after

launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (USA), a statement from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said.

A video of the moment shared by NASA on their social media handle showed Williams entering the ISS docking area first to the loud clapping from the

Expedition 71 colleagues as one of them rang the metal bell, clinking of which could be heard over and above the celebratory cheers.

Wearing the blue overalls, her long hair all flowing upwards around her smiling face in the zero-gravity space station, Williams broke into a twist-like dance step immediately after she came out of the docking tunnel.

“As part of @USNavy tradition for captains boarding a ship @NASA_Astronauts Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni each received bell rings as they came aboard @Space_Station,” NASA posted on X.