Sunita Williams

Houston, Dec. 31 (PTI): Astronaut Sunita Williams will get to celebrate New Year’s Day 16 times on board humanity’s furthest outpost in space as the International Space Station (ISS) orbits the earth that many times in a day.

Williams and her fellow astronauts — American Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian Mikhail Tyurin — are expected to feast on special rations allowed for the New Year. They were each permitted to take six containers of their favourite food with them.

Williams, who loves Indian food, carried a container full of samosas, among other culinary delights.

The 36-year-old Indian American astronaut spent the last week getting accustomed to life at the ISS and unpacking and stowing away more than two tonnes of equipment and supplies left behind by space shuttle Discovery.

During the week, crew members also worked on experiments analysing heart function during long-duration space flight, measuring cosmic rays and examining plant growth and changes in the blood of long-duration spacefarers.

Williams, who reached the ISS on December 12, had an hour each day to familiarise herself with the station and adapt to life on board.

The unstructured hours are scheduled during new crew members’ first two weeks aboard to get used to the station and its activities.