Guwahati: Assam has been a direct partner in NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and three other astronauts’ return from space to Earth, not just through the shared experience of space exploration, but also through the contribution of an Assamese engineer working at SpaceX.
The state is celebrating the successful splashdown of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9, which completed its mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday.
The crew, including NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth at 5:57 p.m. EDT, landing safely in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico.
Adding to the pride of Assam is the revelation that Bhawani Sarma, an engineer hailing from Hazarikapara, Sipajhar in Assam’s Darrang district, is a key member of the SpaceX team. This highlights Assam’s increasing involvement in global technological advancements.
Bhawani Sarma has been working with SpaceX for the past two years, contributing to the company’s groundbreaking space missions. He resides in the United States, where he has been settled for 25 years. After completing his BE in Computer Science from Jorhat Engineering College, he moved to the US to pursue a career in Information Technology.
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has been instrumental in revolutionizing space travel. Their partnership with NASA, which notably saw the first-ever private company launch of astronauts to the ISS in 2020, underscores their pivotal role in the modern space industry.
Beyond his contributions to SpaceX, Bhawani Sarma is also involved in numerous startups and maintains strong connections with Assam. He actively supports the development of Assamese business ideas, demonstrating his commitment to his home state.
His educational journey began at Gandhi Smriti High School, followed by higher secondary education in science at Arya Vidyapith College.
The successful return of Crew-9, including the extended nine-month stay of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore at the ISS, marks another milestone in human space exploration.
