Bangalore: Indians are known for their talent and noteworthy contributions to the world in the field of science and technology. To justify this, we have some of the Indians who are setting a benchmark in this field and are holding prominent positions in major and renowned organizations such as NASA. Praising India and its natives, former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin once said ‘India has extensive space-related experience, capabilities and infrastructure, and will continue to be a welcome partner in NASA's future space exploration activities’.

According to a survey done by the Indian Government in the year 2008 it was revealed that 36 percent of scientists working at NASA are Indians. However, Kamlesh Lulla, chief scientist for Earth observation at NASA has a contradictory viewpoint, who said that, ‘’In reality, a very very small number of scientists of Indian origin work for NASA directly and some work for NASA contractors. It is unwise to use numbers that have not been based on accurate data. Numbers could be very low, as low as less than 1percent’’.

Here is a list of top 5 Indians working at NASA-

Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams is the Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA, who holds the record of the longest spaceflight among female space travelers. She happens to be the second Indian-American woman who got the opportunity to go to space after the Late Kalpana Chawla and now she is on her second space mission.

When Williams was just 5, she watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and dreamed of being in his shoes which seemed somewhat unrealistic at that age, she recalls. "I never really thought that that would happen in my life" says Williams.  "It seemed too far out there, something that I could never achieve."

William says that further understanding of how to live and work in space is the most important task lying before her, as a member of space station crew.

Once Manmohan Singh told Sunita that India was "truly proud of her achievements" and that she was a "source of inspiration for all our young people".