By: Rebecca Agius Jager

Sunita Williams and three other NASA crew members of Expedition 72—known for their impromptu nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station—received a warm welcome Sept. 17 by the Embassy of Slovenia and the Space Foundation in Washington DC.

Williams, 60, is of Slovene descent from her mother’s side; her father is of Indian origin. Nicknamed “Sončka” in Slovenia, she has carried the Slovene flag into space and has become a symbol of achievement and excellency in this Central European country. 

Ambassador Iztok Mirošič opened a panel featuring professionals from the public and private space sector, which is one of the key focus areas of US-Slovene collaboration in both diplomacy and business. This has given the country the reputation of being “small on Earth, but big in Space.”

Aside from its contributions to NASA’s crew, Slovenia houses planetary habitat simulation facilities, is launching its fourth satellite, foreseen in 2025 and is an active base for small and medium-sized businesses in the space sector. 

Slovenia became a 39th member of ARTEMIS Accords in April 2024 and an ESA member in January 2025, showcasing its commitment to peaceful exploration of space.

Williams, who plans to visit Slovenia for the fifth time this month, was joined on the panel by representatives of the Space Foundation, NASA’s International Space Station’s director, Dewesoft Slovenia and SpaceX, as well as four of NASA’s Expedition 72 crew members. 

The astronauts, noting that next month marks 25 years of continual human presence on the ISS, shared how being so far from Earth strips national and political differences of their importance.

They emphasized one overriding goal: ensuring the safety of all astronauts on mission. And as space exploration evolves, cooperation on Earth must evolve to give crews their best chance at independence from the ground.

In fact, Mirošič said diplomats can learn a lot from astronauts. He added that Slovenia would keep pursuing common goals with the US in research, science and technology, AI and space exploration, enhancing its footprint in space.