Sunita Williams Returns to Earth, NASA Welcomes Her; PM Modi Invites Her to India
Dr Ajay Bansal
Florida (USA) : Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, along with Butch Wilmore, has returned to Earth. Their successful landing took place off the coast of Florida. The SpaceX Crew-9 mission brought both astronauts back to Earth after an unexpectedly extended stay in space. Originally planned as an eight-day mission, technical issues kept them in space for nine months and 13 days. NASA, in an official statement on its website, welcomed the astronauts, saying, “Welcome home! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 science mission has returned to Earth.”
Reuniting with Their Families
According to NASA, Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov returned to Earth at 5:57 PM Eastern Time. SpaceX recovery teams retrieved the spacecraft and its crew upon landing. The astronauts will now head to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will reunite with their families.
The Crew-9 mission successfully completed NASA’s ninth commercial crew rotation at the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, near Tallahassee, Florida.
NASA Credits Trump for Mission’s Success
Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro expressed her excitement over the safe return of the astronauts, stating, “We are thrilled to welcome Sunita, Butch, Nick, and Alexander home safely.” She credited former U.S. President Donald Trump for his directive, which contributed to the success of the mission.
She further emphasized that NASA and SpaceX teams worked tirelessly for a month to ensure the astronauts’ safe return. “These missions benefit humanity,” she added.
Hague and Gorbunov had launched on September 28, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. They docked with the Harmony module of the space station the following day. Meanwhile, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore had taken off on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, launched via a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. They arrived at the space station on June 6.
Record-Breaking Space Journey
During their mission, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles, spent 286 days in space, and orbited Earth 4,576 times. Hague and Gorbunov covered 72,553,920 miles over 171 days, completing 2,736 orbits.
In total, Hague has spent 374 days in space across two missions, while Sunita Williams has logged 608 days over three missions. Wilmore has spent 464 days in space over his three missions.
Sunita Williams Conducts Two Spacewalks
Sunita Williams performed two spacewalks—one with Wilmore and another with Hague. The mission included over 900 hours of scientific research, involving more than 150 unique experiments. These included studies on plant growth, stem cell technology for blood disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer treatment.
The astronauts also tested lighting systems to help maintain circadian rhythms in space and conducted experiments to determine whether microorganisms can survive in space.
Celebrations in Sunita’s Ancestral Village
As Sunita Williams’ spacecraft completed its deorbit burn at 3:27 AM IST and successfully landed off the Florida coast, celebrations erupted in her ancestral village in Gujarat, India.
As a remarkable sight, a pod of dolphins was seen swimming around the capsule as it splashed down. After landing, recovery teams safely extracted her from the spacecraft.
PM Modi Invites Sunita Williams to India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended a formal invitation to Sunita Williams to visit India. The invitation was sent in a letter dated March 1 and delivered through former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino.
Union Minister for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh shared the letter on social media, in which PM Modi expressed, “Even though you are thousands of miles away, you remain close to our hearts. The people of India prayed for your health and mission success. We eagerly look forward to welcoming you in India—one of our nation’s most brilliant daughters.”