American astronaut Christopher "Chris" Williams, 42, son of Panamanian Rogelio L. Williams and American Ginger Macomber, will travel to space on a joint mission with Russian cosmonauts. NASA announced that Williams will remain in space for 8 months, a mission that represents a milestone in his career and in international cooperation in space exploration. The news was shared in a video by the US space agency through its official Instagram account. In July 2021, Williams was selected by NASA as one of ten astronaut candidates out of over 12,000 applicants. His selection was announced at a ceremony held at NASA's main center in Houston, Texas. Christopher Williams was born in New York City but grew up in Potomac, Maryland. He graduated from Stanford University in California with a bachelor's degree in Physics in 2005 and earned a doctorate in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2012, specializing in astrophysics. From Panama City, ArmonÃa Williams, the astronaut's relative, shared with the media that her cousin "Chris" will set off for space on the morning of Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27. This is a moment of great pride for his family, as he will be the first Panamanian-American to carry out a space mission of such magnitude.
The mission, part of international cooperation efforts in space, is expected to advance the development of new technologies and scientific research, providing valuable information about space and the effects of life away from Earth.
