Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India]: NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has safely returned to Earth after being stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months. Her cousin, Dinesh Rawal, expressed immense relief and pride following her return.
“When she returned, we jumped with joy… I was so happy… Till yesterday, I had an unsettling feeling deep in my heart… God has listened to our prayers and brought our Suni back safely… Sunita is not an ordinary person… She will change the world,” Dinesh Rawal told media.
Sunita Williams was part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which concluded successfully after their spacecraft splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico. The astronauts, including NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned at 5:57 pm EDT on Tuesday.
Upon landing, the crew was assisted onto stretchers, a standard precaution for astronauts returning from extended space missions.
Williams and Wilmore had initially planned to stay in space for just one week. However, their mission was unexpectedly extended to nine months due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft during a test flight last summer. As a result, NASA integrated the duo into Expedition 71/72 to ensure a safe return via Crew-9.
NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro praised the crew’s resilience and contributions:
“We are thrilled to have Suni, Butch, Nick, and Aleksandr home after their months-long mission conducting vital science, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the International Space Station.”
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission marked the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, which has previously supported Crew-4, Axiom Mission 2, and Axiom Mission 3. The spacecraft will now undergo inspection and refurbishment at SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral facility for future missions.