Bengaluru, Sept. 9 -- NASA astronaut Sunita Williams on Wednesday said India is "ready for the challenge" of building future space stations, while stressing that advanced technologies, autonomous systems and international cooperation will be critical as human spaceflight moves beyond the International Space Station (ISS).

Speaking at the Space Expo session "The Next Chapter of Space: A Conversation on Exploration, Science and Innovation", Williams said the next generation of space stations offers an opportunity to develop systems that can reduce dependence on Earth, including onboard databases, reliable 3D printing and autonomous scientific analysis.

Reflecting on her experience aboard the ISS, Williams said astronauts cannot simply rel...