Residents of Jhulasan, Gujarat, the native village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, rejoiced as she successfully returned to Earth after nearly nine months in space. The community gathered to perform aarti and offer prayers in celebration of her safe landing.
The Dragon spacecraft, carrying Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down safely, as confirmed by SpaceX. The news of her return was met with prayers, rituals, and joyous gatherings in her hometown.
Earlier, her cousin Dinesh Rawal had organized a ‘Yagna’ in Ahmedabad to pray for her smooth journey back to Earth.
Following the landing, NASA astronaut Nick Hague sent the first message to mission control, sharing that the crew was “grinning ear to ear”, according to CNN.
SpaceX officially announced on X (formerly Twitter):
“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!”
Rescue ships operated by SpaceX are en route to recover the spacecraft. A specialized rig on one of the vessels will lift the Dragon capsule from the ocean and place it in the “Dragon’s nest.” Before landing, parachutes deployed, reducing the spacecraft’s speed to under 20 miles per hour for a smooth descent.
Following the splashdown:
- NASA teams in Houston will assist the astronauts in re-acclimating to Earth’s gravity.
- The crew will undergo medical checks aboard the rescue ship, with continuous monitoring in the following weeks.
- Crew-9 astronauts will be transported to NASA’s Houston facility for further evaluations.
Williams and Wilmore’s prolonged stay in space had been widely debated. However, the astronauts refuted claims that they were “abandoned” or “stranded.”
“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.”
With Williams safely back on Earth, her village in Gujarat continues to celebrate, proud of her achievements and her inspiring journey beyond the stars.
