Something bigger and stronger than us in universe:astronaut Sunita Williams

"When I saw the aurora from space, I understood that there is something bigger and stronger than us in the universe," said Sunita Williams, the US astronaut of Indian origin.

The space girl said spirituality is not different from science.

Williams was conferred an honorary doctorate by Gujarat Technological University (GTU) at its Chandkheda campus on Saturday. In her address, the last before she returns to the US, after a whirlwind week-long trip to India, she emphasized that students must following their dreams and not to get bogged down by failures.

She said success is being at the place where you are happy. "If I were not an astronaut, I might be flying helicopters and that would be perfect for me. If you are happy, you would tend to do things with zeal that will ultimately lead to success," said Williams.

She asked students and scholars not to be overwhelmed by her success. "My journey to being an astronaut was not a straight paved way; it was zigzag. I was very much in the middle of the class as a student. In fact, I took two classes again because of poor results. Due to my love for pets, my first dream was to become a veterinarian. However, destiny drove me to science and engineering. After studying in Boston, the thought of going to New York was overwhelming, as it is a big city. When my brother told me about the adventures one get in the forces, I chose the navy," she said.

She said that in her youth, she was impressed by Tom Cruise's role in the movie Top Gun and she was inspired to become a daredevil pilot like him. "Again, destiny played its part and I ended up flying helicopters and later became a test pilot. Many small things, like repairing helicopters and putting together mechanical parts, helped me immensely in my experience as an astronaut," she said.

She told students it is perfectly normal to be confused about choices. "But don't get overwhelmed by success or failure and follow your dreams. Success might not be immediate. All US astronauts start in their mid-30s," Williams added.

The Gujarati-origin astronaut also answered questions on voting and democracy, her definition of success and spirituality. "Democracy gives everyone an ability to bring about change. I understood the meaning of voting rights after I graduated from college and thus, decided to cast my vote before going on the space mission," she said.