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NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have successfully returned to Earth after spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their return was met with widespread acclaim, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu extending their congratulations.
PM Modi posted on X, “Welcome back, #Crew9! The Earth missed you. Theirs has been a test of grit, courage, and the boundless human spirit. Sunita Williams and the #Crew9 astronauts have once again shown us what perseverance truly means. Their unwavering determination in the face of the vast unknown will forever inspire millions.”
The Prime Minister also emphasized that space exploration is about pushing the limits of human potential and lauded Williams as a trailblazer in the field. Similarly, President Murmu commended the astronauts’ perseverance, calling their journey a testament to teamwork, determination, and extraordinary courage.
Williams and Wilmore initially embarked on their mission in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was meant to be a short test flight. However, propulsion issues rendered the spacecraft incapable of returning to Earth. As a result, NASA reassigned them to SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, which arrived at the ISS in September. The mission was restructured to carry only two astronauts instead of four to accommodate their return. On Sunday morning, Crew-10 reached the ISS, and Crew-9 bid a heartfelt farewell to their ISS colleagues.
Now back on Earth, both astronauts will undergo a 45-day rehabilitation period to recover from the physical toll of prolonged space travel, including potential muscle loss, vision impairment, and bone density reduction.
