Though she had an aptitude for science since childhood, Williams dreamt of being a veterinary doctor. Her mind changed after she visited her brother Jay at the US Naval Academy. At the time, Tom Cruise-starrer Top Gun was a rage. On getting an opportunity, she joined the Naval Aviation Training Command, but did not get to fly a combat aircraft.

Residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams’ ancestral village Jhulasan in Gujarat’s Mehsana district on Wednesday celebrated her safe return by bursting firecrackers, distributing sweets, dancing and offering prayers to the local deity.

After almost 10 months in space, Needham native Sunita Williams and fellow astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore are back on Earth.