Kozhikode:Her 608 days in orbit were clearly not enough. Just retired NASA astronaut Sunita Williams says the upcoming Moon mission under the Artemis programme will give her FOMO even while she finds joy exploring Earth and all the places she glimpsed from up there in the sky.

On the inaugural evening of the Kerala Literature Festival on Thursday, a half moon shimmered over the water as if listening in and hundreds of people thronged to hear Williams as she reflected on her 27-year career -- the awe of seeing Earth from orbit, the teamwork that built the ISS and the simple joys she missed in space.

"Who doesn't want to go to the Moon... That was the whole reason I wanted to join NASA in the first place. So yes, of course, I will have FOMO (fear of missing out), but I am also excited to see my friends do this, to see my fellow human beings take this step," Williams said during a session titled Dreams Reach Orbit.

NASA is set to launch Artemis II, its first crewed Moon mission since 1972. Four astronauts will orbit the Moon in 2026."I have also discovered some really great places on Earth that I hadn't visited when I was in space.

I have to fill my time, and I plan to do so by travelling all around -- Kerala is one of them," she told the the starstruck crowd packed into the venue. The 60-year-old recently hung up her boots — and four space suits.

Source:Ndtv