Staff at an Indian restaurant in Glasgow were 'over the moon' when legendary astronaut Sunita Williams walked in through the door. Sunita was part of a NASA group visiting Scotland to promote the Scottish Space School run by Strathclyde University and had decided to pop into Madha on Albion Street for a bite.
VIP Treatment at Madha
Madha owner Joseph Joseph recognised her straight away and made sure she was given the VIP treatment. Celebrity customers over the years include Rangers and Celtic stars such as Sean Maloney and Radio Scotland's Tam Cowan, but Joseph says Sunita is his most famous guest to date.
The 60-year-old became world famous after she was stranded in space for nine months following a malfunction on the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024, only returning in March last year.
The restaurant party also included other American astronauts who had been on space missions over the years, as well as senior former NASA space agency officials. Joseph says the group, including Sunita, seemed to enjoy themselves and were there for almost five hours, wolfing the food and a few glasses of wine into the bargain.
Joseph added: 'I recognised Sunita as soon as she came into the restaurant. The party had booked under another name. I asked her about her time in space and she said it was tough but different. She was a genuine, normal down-to-earth person and it was a privilege to have her in the restaurant. Her parents are both Indian and she told me she really loves her Indian food.'
Dining on Indian Specialities
Sunita and her fellow NASA colleagues tucked into Madha house specialities such as Beef Pepper, Masala Dosa, Channa Samosas, Tandoori Tiger Prawns, and traditional desserts like Kulfi and Gulab Jamun. Joseph added: 'Sunita really seemed to enjoy herself and even got her secretary to go into their car and get me a signed photograph of herself. She says it was one of the best meals she has had and hopes to bring her husband the next time she is in Scotland.'
Sunita Williams' Space Missions
Sunita served aboard the International Space Station on three missions. In June 2024, she returned to the ISS on the first crewed mission of a new Boeing Starliner. The mission was supposed to last eight days, but technical problems stranded her and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore on the ISS for more than nine months. On March 18, 2025, Sunita returned to Earth with Wilmore, landing safely in the Gulf of Mexico near Tallahassee, Florida.
Her nine spacewalks are the second-most by a woman, and her total spacewalk time of more than 62 hours is fourth overall by an astronaut.
Scottish Space School Visit
Sunita previously visited the Scottish Space School in 2018. She returned to Glasgow this week to talk about her life and work as an astronaut. She was also joined in the city by another former NASA astronaut, Michael Baker, and Tricia Mack, who led NASA's International Space Station spacewalk and operations programmes for 34 years. Michael Baker flew four Space Shuttle missions and logged more than 965 hours in space.
The Scottish Space School is aimed at Scottish fifth-year secondary school students with an interest in science, technology, and mathematics. The programme sees 100 pupils spend five days on the University campus attending lectures, workshops, and meeting leading figures in the space industry like Sunita. During their visit, the NASA guests have been telling pupils about their space missions.
Professor Campbell Booth, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Strathclyde, said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Sunita Williams back to the Scottish Space School. Her recent time in space has inspired millions around the world, and having her and her colleagues here to share their experiences with our students is an incredible opportunity.'
