Spirituality and science go hand-in-hand, says Sunita Williams at Kerala Literature Festival

Kozhikode: Indian- origin Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams said spirituality and science go hand-in-hand and one does not negate the other. Speaking at a session at Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), Williams said that the opportunity to be up in space and look back at Earth — the marvel of the planet and the fact that all these miracles exist right here with every individual being a miracle in themselves — make one to pause for a moment and wonder how did it all happen. “And there has got to be a greater power that allowed all of us to be here today, to be here every single day on this planet. So, I don’t think it is separate and it is okay to think about spirituality, it’s okay to think about science. All of that goes hand in hand when you have the ability to see the greatness of the planet,” she said when asked whether she was a believer and why she had taken a Ganesha idol and copy of Bhagavat Gita to space. Williams said that it is very politic that she was in India when her retirement was announced, as it allowed her to pass on a message of inspiration. “I think the greatest compliment for somebody doing a job is for their mentee to take over that job and do it better and then go on to inspire the next generation to do that job in different ways and open young people’s eyes to new possibilities. It is very auspicious that I am here when my retirement is announced,” she said. Asked whether she felt a sense of ‘fear of missing out (Fomo)’ over upcoming crewed Moon missions and other projects, Williams said, “Absolutely. Who wouldn’t want to go to the moon? I would love to go to the moon. That was one of the reasons I wanted to join Nasa in the first place. I do have Fomo but I am excited to see my friends and fellow human beings accomplish these missions.” She added that after witnessing some really great places on Earth from space, she now plans to spend time travelling. “Kerala is one of them,” she said Reflecting on what she missed most during her extended stay in space, which lasted over nine months, Williams said that not to be part of the planet was sort of painful. “To not feel the rain on my head for nine months was terrible. I love rain. Also not to feel wind or the sand on your feet; these are the things about earth Iireally missed,” she said. Williams also said she missed space deeply and often cried upon returning to Earth. “Even after my first flight, I cried because I didn’t know if I would ever get that opportunity again. I cried even when I returned after getting stuck. Space is such an amazing place — to float like a little child and to see billions of stars and the craters on the Moon so clearly,” she added. She said that when her father said that there were prayers in India during her first mission, she said she didn’t believe it first and, on her return, came back and read the news about it. “It is so heartfelt and so warming that I have been taken as a daughter of India,” she said. She said that “when you look from space you don’t see countries and we only see the place where all of us live”. “Everything — the air, the water — is all the same We are all together on one planet. It almost makes it even hard to thing why people get into an argument or would disagree with each other,” she said. Williams inaugurated the four-day KLF along with PWD and tourism minister P A Mohamed Riyas at the Kozhikode beach.