Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams to back in space: NASA

New Delhi : Indian-origin United States astronaut Sunita Williams has been named among the nine astronauts by NASA on Friday for its first human spaceflight programme. 

NASA announced that the nine astronauts will be launched on the first crewed test flights and missions of new commercial spacecraft built and operated by Boeing and SpaceX.

The eight active NASA astronauts and one former astronaut-turned-corporate crew member will launch on Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Dragoncapsules to the International Space Station beginning in 2019.

This will be the first human mission to be launched from US soil since the end of the space shuttle programme seven years ago.

Sunita Williams had previously spent 321 days in orbit on two stays aboard the space station, most recently returning to the earth in 2012.