Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams has the innate ability to turn almost everything around her into an unforgettable lesson about space.

Take, for example, the press conference she addressed at the 58th International Astronautical Conference in Hyderabad on Friday.

Her mike, in an incredible show of disrespect, decided to stop functioning during the press conference. A burly, well-built person responsible for audio-visuals raced efficiently towards the faulty instrument and vaulted over the dais. Well, almost.

Instead of a neat, athletic jump, he tripped and found himself sprawling on the raised platform, much to the amusement of everyone else.

"See," grinned the famed astronaut, "it is gravity that hurts. Now, if that had happened in space, there would not have been any problem. In space, you just cannot fall. There is no gravity to pull you down."

Image: Sunita Williams arrives for the convention, but is whisked inside the gate before anyone can even spot her.
Text: Savera R Someshwar | Photographs: Reuben N V