Sunita Williams embarked on her third journey to space on Wednesday, becoming one of the first astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft headed to the International Space Station (ISS).
Williams and her colleague, Butch Wilmore, launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, US as part of Boeing’s Crew Flight Test mission. This mission had faced several delays before finally lifting off.
The 58-year-old astronaut of Indian origin serves as the pilot for the mission, with Wilmore, 61, acting as the commander. Williams made history as the first woman to pilot the Starliner spacecraft to the ISS.
In 2012, Williams became the first person to finish a triathlon in space during a trip to the International Space Station.
She simulated swimming using a weight-lifting machine and ran on a treadmill while strapped in by a harness. In 2007, she ran the Boston Marathon from the space station.
Williams received her commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987. She was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and has completed two space missions: Expeditions 14/15 in 2006 and Expeditions 32/33 in 2012. She served as a flight engineer on Expedition 32 and commander of Expedition 33.
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Boeing’s Crew Flight Test mission faced several years of delays due to setbacks in the spacecraft’s development. Last-minute computer trouble canceled Saturday’s launch attempt, following the first attempt on May 6, which was delayed for leak checks and rocket repairs.
With this launch, Boeing became the second private firm to provide crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.