Williams, 41, who is part of a seven-member crew led by Commander Mark Polansky, was scheduled to lift off at 9:35 pm Eastern time on the STS-116 mission, a challenging flight intended to continue building the International Space Station.

"I am a little nervous, a little rushed, but I am really very excited. It is pretty awesome to actually think that you are going to leave this planet," Williams told India Abroad November 29, just a few hours before she was quarantined for the final stretch before the launch.

"It really fells like the end of a long road, lot of work and training," she addd.

"There is a lot coming in terms of specific tasks that we are going to perform up there and also in anticipation, I am trying to get my house cleaned and my life cleaned before I go up," Williams said, explaining her inability to talk for long.

Image: Astronaut Sunita Williams, Expedition 14 flight engineer, poses for a portrait following a STS-116 pre-flight press conference at Johnson Space Center. Williams will join Expedition 14 in progress and serve as a flight engineer after traveling to the station on space shuttle mission STS-116 in December.