Hyderabad school kids pray for Sunita Williams safe return

School children in Hyderabad on Thursday held prayers for the safe return of Indian origin American astronaut Sunita Williams following her six months sojourn in space.

Hyderabad, June 21 : School children in Hyderabad on Thursday held prayers for the safe return of Indian origin American astronaut Sunita Williams following her six months sojourn in space.

Williams is on her way back after a six-month space stint.

"We are praying for her safe landing. In future she should do many things like this and she should make India proud. We are proud of India," said Priyanka, a student of All Saints School.

"We have prayed for her to land safely and happily, because it's a great achievement not only for Sunita Williams but also for us Indians. An achievement for Sunita is an achievement for us. Our country is a young country and she is the inspiration for all young people," said Sleva Reddy, Christian Priest and Principal of All Saints School.

Atlantis is scheduled to return to the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Thursday.

Alarm bells had gone off a fortnight ago when NASA reported a bump in Atlantis' heat protection system.

After NASA's Mission Control issued a warning, astronauts on the US space shuttle assessed the damage caused to its body during lift off and were said to have done the needful repair.

Atlantis reportedly suffered a 10-cm tear in its thermal blanket and a few pieces of foam fell off during launch on June 8.

A heat-shield damage led to the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003.

The shuttle disintegrated during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, killing Indian born astronaut Kalpana Chawla and six other crewmembers, mid-air, when a protective foam tile shook loose and burning a hole into the shuttle's body.

A spate of prayer ceremonies have been held in India ever since, for no further hitches to Atlantis' safe return.

William set a record for the longest space flight by a woman at 188 days.

ANI