Fact Check: Sunita Williams likes Quran reports BBC, claim is FAKE!!

Fact Check en Fake Featured

Claim

The viral WhatsApp Message quotes a BBC report which states Astronaut Sunita Williams during her long, enduring overstay at the International Space Station (ISS) started reading the Quran. She spent her time at the ISS with fellow astronaut, Barry Wilmore. 

Furthermore, we found a similar post on Facebook.

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Fact Check

The message claims a BBC news report about Sunita Williams and her fellow astronaut during their long, enduring overstay at the ISS. This alleged report claims about Williams’s newfound closeness to the Quran. 

For verification of the report, DFRAC did a keyword search. This led us to a BBC news live-blog report, ‘Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return to Earth after nine unplanned months in space’. This comprehensive report has every detail of their stay at ISS and the technical issues that led them to stay put at ISS. But there is no mention of Sunita Williams reading the Quran and getting mesmerized.

BBC News webpage screenshot with a headline stating 'Butch Wilmore and astronaut Sunita Williams return to Earth after nine unplanned months in space,' dated March 18, 2025. The article summarizes that NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore successfully returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which splashed down off the coast of Florida after an extended stay in space. The main image shows the SpaceX Dragon capsule floating in the ocean, with a rescue boat approaching to recover the astronauts. Another image in the article features a pod of dolphins surrounding the capsule as it bobs in the water. The summary highlights that the astronauts waved and smiled upon emerging. The news is part of SpaceX and NASA’s commercial crew missions and has gained significant attention in the aerospace industry.

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The viral post on Facebook is in Malayalam. The translated text is the same as the viral message.

A viral Facebook post featuring an elderly woman dressed in a space suit, smiling while seated, with two individuals in blue astronaut jumpsuits in the background. The image has overlaid Malayalam text that suggests she is preparing for a space mission and will be the first elderly woman to reach space. Below, a smaller inset image of Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams in a NASA spacesuit is included, creating an impression that the elderly woman might be associated with space exploration. The Facebook post, written in Malayalam, expresses admiration and pride. However, the post has sparked skepticism and discussions in the comments. The background of the main image appears to be a space training facility. This image has been widely shared on social media, with many users questioning its authenticity, leading to fact-checking discussions on misinformation regarding space missions and astronauts.

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Lastly, we couldn’t find any news reports, as the claimant’s post suggests about a new department at NASA to study supernatural powers of the Quran. 

Conclusion

Hence, the claim made regarding Sunita Williams’s fondness of the Quran is fake.

No news reports were published by the BBC news reporting about this kind of development about Williams during her stay at the ISS.

Both, the viral message and Facebook post are Fake.

Analysis: Fake