Florida, March 19 (HS): Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams, affiliated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth. Their successful landing took place off the coast of Florida. The SpaceX Crew-9 spacecraft has returned to Earth with both astronauts on board. These NASA astronauts were on a mission for only eight days, but due to technical issues, they were stranded in space for nine months and 13 days. NASA wrote on its website, Welcome home! NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 has returned to Earth after its scientific mission.

Now Everyone Will Meet Their Families

According to NASA's website, Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos astronaut Alexander Gorbunov returned to Earth at 5:57 PM Eastern Time. Recovery teams on SpaceX recovery ships retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where everyone will meet their families. NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 completed the agency's ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday. The spacecraft safely landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.

Janet Petro Said - It Was Possible Because of Trump

NASA's Acting Administrator Janet Petro said, We are thrilled about the safe return of Sunita, Butch, Nick, and Alexander. She stated that NASA and SpaceX's month of hard work paid off under the direction of President Donald Trump. The international crew and our teams on the ground worked tirelessly to bring everyone home. NASA's such missions are for the benefit of humanity. Hague and Gorbunov launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 on September 28, 2024, at 1:17 PM. They docked at the forward port of the station's Harmony module the next day. Sunita Williams and Wilmore were launched on June 5, 2024, from Space Launch Complex 41 as part of the agency's Boeing Crew Flight Test aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft and United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket. Both arrived at the space station on June 6.

Traveled 121,347,491 Miles During the Mission

It has been reported that Sunita Williams and Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles during their mission. They spent 286 days in space and completed 4,576 orbits around Earth. Hague and Gorbunov traveled 72,553,920 miles during their mission, spent 171 days in space, and completed 2,736 orbits around Earth. Hague has spent 374 days in space across his two missions, and Williams has spent 608 days in space across her three flights. Wilmore has spent 464 days in space across his three flights.

The Space Fairy did two spacewalks

Sunita Williams conducted two spacewalks. Wilmore was with her for one and Haig was involved in the other. Over 900 hours of research in space included more than 150 unique scientific experiments. This research involved investigating plant growth and quality, as well as the potential of stem cell technology to address blood disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. She also tested lighting to help astronauts maintain their circadian rhythms. Samples were taken from the outside of the space station to study whether microorganisms can survive in space.

Celebration in Sunita's ancestral village

At 3:27 AM Indian time, after the orbit burn process was completed, celebrations began in Sunita Williams' ancestral village in Gujarat as the space fairy landed off the coast of Florida. As Sunita Williams returned to Earth safely, welcomed by a pod of dolphins swimming in the ocean, there were a large number of dolphins around her capsule when it landed in the water. After that, she was extracted from the capsule by a recovery vessel.

Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to visit India

In the letter, Prime Minister Modi stated that “Even though you are thousands of miles away, you continue to remain close to our hearts. The people of India are praying for your good health and success in your mission,” Narendra Modi wrote in the letter which was shared by Union minister Jitendra Singh on X

Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar