Sunita Williams, an Indian American NASA astronaut, has a tradition of carrying cultural items into space aboard the Boeing Starliner. Known for her appreciation of her Indian heritage, Williams, aged 58, has included items like the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and even samosas on her space missions. This practice reflects her desire to connect with her roots while exploring the cosmos.

During a 2013 news conference at the National Science Centre in Delhi, Sunita Williams expressed her deep appreciation for her Indian heritage and the significance of bringing elements of it into space. She spoke of her attachment to the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh, whom she had always kept in her homes, and how she ensured Ganesh accompanied her into space.

Williams also emphasized her love for Indian food, particularly samosas, which she made sure to have with her in space along with other Indian dishes. This connection to her roots is a consistent theme in her space missions. Additionally, on Expedition 32/33 in 2012, Williams extended greetings from space during Diwali, underscoring her celebration of Hindu traditions.

NASA chose Williams as an astronaut in 1998. Over the course of her two extensive space missions, she has accumulated 322 days in space and conducted seven spacewalks. At one point, Williams held the record for the most cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut, but this record has since been surpassed by Peggy Whitson.