Astronaut Sunita Williams greets Indians on occasion of 75th Independence Day

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams along with top US senators, including Democrat Mark Warner and Republican John Cornyn greeted Indians and Indian-Americans on the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day.

She said, "NASA and ISRO have cooperated in many different areas, including Earth and space science. Additionally, NASA has provided deep space communication and navigation support for ISRO’s missions to the Moon and Mars".

She praised ISRO and said that she is interested in the Gaganyaan mission--India's first human spaceflight mission.

"Exploring space is a global enterprise where we all need to work together. I am especially interested in following the progress of Gaganyaan," the astronaut said.

Williams' paternal family is from Mehsana district in Gujarat. Her maternal great-grandmother, born in Slovenia, immigrated to America as an 11-year-old with her mother.

Cornyn said he knows firsthand the importance of a strong relationship between the United States and India.

“I'm proud to see how our ties have strengthened over the recent years,” he said.

It was 74 years ago that India emancipated itself from British rule and began a long and storied journey toward becoming the biggest democracy in the world, said Senator Cornyn, Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus.

“I want to congratulate the people in India on 75 years of Independence. The strength of the relationship between the world's two biggest democracies is more important now than ever,” said Democrat Warner, Co-Chair of the powerful Senate India Caucus. This is the largest bilateral caucus in the United States Senate.