Peace is the message of Sunita Williams

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New Delhi, Jan 11 (UNI) American-Indian astronaut Sunita Williams wants to spread the message of peace on planet earth.

Getting a different perspective of life from above, Sunita wonders why people have any issues on earth.

''It is hard to imagine anybody arguing down there,'' she said last evening through a live satellite feed from aboard the International Space Station.

''We have terrorism on earth... but Space gives unity to all....

It brings people of different nationalities together to work on different programmes,'' she said during a ten-minute interactive session with students, journalists and scholars of space exploration, including India's first man in space Rakesh Sharma, sitting at the American Centre here.

Dressed in a blue T-shirt and light brown shorts, Sunita said space exploration gave a different perspective of the world.

''It gives an insight into lots of problems such as those concerning the environment.... an insight into how to save planet earth for the future,'' she said as her afro haircut bobbled up and down.

Asked whether India looked like 'sare jahan se achcha' from above, as Rakesh Sharma described in 1984, she expressed similar sentiments.

''It's really beautiful... We have had the luxury of flying over India from the North over Afghanistan and Pakistan, from the West and the South. it is beautiful to see the countryside. It has different colours. You see the green fields, the red mountains, the dark forests.'' Sunita, who has to spend six months in the Space Station, said she was enjoying every moment of it.

''I like floating around. I feel like Mary Poppins being able to fly around.'' But she added that she wanted to come back. ''I have to do lots of things. I cannot live there forever.'' She contgratulated the Indian scientists on the successful launch of the unmanned PSLV-C7, and said she looked forward to India sending a manned vehicle into space.

Replying to a question she said: ''I hope lot of people follow in my footsteps.'' Sunita, along with the Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez of Alegria, gave the audience the thrill of living in a weightless world as they drank juice.

With the drops flying out of the straw, Lopez caught the juice with his fingers and drank it. Sunita also licked her fingers as a little smile appeared on her face.