Astronaut Sunita Williams, of Indian origin, is poised to make history by voting from the International Space Station (ISS). She will participate in the U.S. presidential election on November 5, casting her vote from approximately 400 kilometers above Earth.
NASA recently announced that Williams, currently serving as the Commander of the ISS, will express her democratic rights from space. Notably, voting for astronauts is not a new concept; it began in 1997 when the Texas Legislature passed a bill that allows astronauts to vote from orbit using a ballot paper.
For instance, David Wolff became the first NASA astronaut to vote from space, casting his ballot from the Mir space station. Similarly, Kate Rubins participated in the 2020 election. If Williams votes, she will proudly join this distinguished list.
How Voting Works
To cast her vote, Williams will first complete the Federal Post Card Application. After that, she will fill out an electronic ballot using the ISS computer system. Moreover, NASA’s Advanced Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program will facilitate the voting process.
In addition, Williams and her crewmate Butch Wilmore launched on an interplanetary mission for NASA on June 5. Their Boeing Starliner spacecraft successfully docked at the ISS from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This mission marks the 59-year-old Williams’ third space flight. However, due to a mechanical failure, she currently cannot return. Nevertheless, both astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth in February next year, according to NASA.