NEW DELHI: Residents of Jhulasan, Sunita Williams’ native village, celebrated her safe return to Earth on Wednesday with aarti and prayers after her extended space mission of nearly nine months.
The Dragon spacecraft’s successful splashdown brought Williams and her Crew-9 colleagues Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov back to Earth, sparking celebrations.
In Ahmedabad, Williams’ cousin, Dinesh Rawal, conducted a ‘Yagna’ on Tuesday for her safe return.
SpaceX confirmed the landing, whilst NASA astronaut Nick Hague expressed the crew’s joy upon their return. Post-landing, Hague communicated with mission control. Despite unclear audio, he conveyed the crew’s happiness, as reported by CNN.
“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!” SpaceX announced on X.
NASA commentator Sandra Jones noted, “There’s just breathtaking views of a calm, glass-like ocean.”
SpaceX rescue vessels are proceeding to recover the spacecraft. The capsule will be lifted from the water and secured in the “Dragon’s nest.” Prior to landing, parachutes deployed to decelerate Crew Dragon to speeds below 20 miles per hour, according to CNN.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center staff in Houston will now assist the astronauts in readjusting to Earth’s gravity.
Initial medical assessments will occur aboard the rescue vessel, followed by ongoing monitoring. The Crew-9 team will travel to NASA’s Houston facilities for further medical evaluations.
The return followed the crew’s departure from the International Space Station at 1:05 am ET aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Williams and Wilmore’s extended mission attracted significant attention. They consistently dismissed suggestions of being “abandoned,” “stuck,” or “stranded,” as reported by CNN.
“That’s been the narrative from day one: stranded, abandoned, stuck — and I get it, we both get it,” Wilmore told CNN in February. “Help us change the narrative, let’s change it to: prepared and committed despite what you’ve been hearing. That’s what we prefer.”