ThinkHer

  As a child, space didn’t feel like science — it felt like magic. Thousands of stars, distant galaxies, mysterious black holes, supernovas, planets, and moons — everything seemed like an imaginative fantasy world. And it wasn’t just space itself. The precisely manoeuvred satellites orbiting Earth, astronauts floating inside space stations, the bulky space suits — all of it was endlessly fascinating. But now, what fascinates me even more is the kind of person it takes to survive there. Individuals whose journeys are built on discipline, resilience, and a deep curiosity about the universe. One such extraordinary figure is Sunita Williams, a record-breaking astronaut, naval officer, engineer, and an inspiration to millions. Sunita Williams  ©NASA Sunita Lyn Williams was born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, USA. Her father, Dr. Deepak Pandya, was originally from Gujarat, India, and her mother, Bonnie Pandya, is of Slovenian descent. Growing up in a multicultural household...

  Science or mathematics, at its core, is inclusive. It is a space where logic matters the most, where curiosity and brilliance outrank prejudices. An equation doesn't care who solves it, a wind test tunnel doesn't ask for your skin colour. And yet, for so long, the laboratories and research centres of the world have been reserved for the privileged few. In this context, it is interesting to examine how women entered scientific institutions like NASA in the first place. “Computing” — the painstaking process of doing mathematical calculations by hand during that time — was seen as dull, mechanical work. Male engineers found it exhausting, and as an experiment, labs began hiring women instead. They were reliable, precise, and, in the eyes of the institution, inexpensive. It also freed male engineers to do what they considered “real science.” The experiment became a quiet revolution. Women excelled. Many had university degrees in mathematics but had been denied opportunities else...