Record-breaking Indian-American astronaut shares experiences

0 Comments | AFP, September, 2007

HYDERABAD, India (AFP) — Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams proved a stellar hit with students at a space conference, telling aspiring astronauts to "just go for it."

Williams, who received a standing ovation after a one-hour chat with teenagers in this southern Indian city, said she had never thought of becoming an astronaut when she was at school.

"I thought it was for very, very smart people and out of my ability," said the NASA flier, who is visiting India for the first time in a decade and after completing a record-setting space journey in June.

"But if you want to be an astronaut, you should just go for it," Williams, 42, dressed in a blue shirt and khaki slacks, told the packed Hyderabad international convention centre. "You'll find it's very...