Astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore embarked on their journey to space on June 5 last year aboard the Boeing Starliner. After nearly nine months, Williams returns to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft today, marking the end of a prolonged and challenging mission.
Originally planned as an eight-day mission to the International Space Station, their stay unexpectedly extended into a nine-month ordeal. After enduring technical setbacks, Sunita Williams returns to Earth as her space capsule deployed its parachute and safely landed in the ocean off Florida’s coast.
Williams and Wilmore, both former Navy pilots, were initially assigned to Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight. However, propulsion system failures left them stranded in orbit. With the spacecraft deemed unfit for return, it was eventually sent back unmanned in September, while Sunita Williams returns to Earth only now, months later, through an alternative mission.
Due to the uncertainty surrounding their return, NASA reassigned them to SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft was launched in September with a two-member crew to facilitate their return. Following multiple delays, Sunita Williams returns to Earth successfully as the rescue mission finally docked with the space station on Sunday.
The mission sparked political reactions, with former U.S. President Donald Trump accusing the previous Biden administration of neglecting the stranded astronauts. In contrast, the White House acknowledged the success of the mission, emphasizing that “President Trump made a promise and delivered on it” as Sunita Williams returns to Earth.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognized Sunita Williams’ journey back home. In a letter dated March 1, which was shared today by Minister Jitendra Singh on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi praised her achievements. As Sunita Williams returns to Earth, the Prime Minister conveyed his admiration, stating, “We are proud of you and your work.”
