PM Modi hails Sunita Williams’ return, calls Crew-9 mission: "What perseverance truly means"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her Crew-9 team on their return to Earth after spending 286 days at the International Space Station (ISS). Taking to X, Modi called their mission a demonstration of human perseverance, stating, “Welcome back, Crew-9! The Earth missed you. Sunita Williams and the Crew-9 astronauts have once again shown us what perseverance truly means.”

Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June last year for an eight-day mission. However, due to technical failures in the Starliner’s propulsion system, they were forced to remain at the ISS until an alternative return option was arranged. The two astronauts completed 4,576 orbits around Earth, covering over 121 million miles before returning in SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom capsule, which splashed down off the Florida coast near Tallahassee at 5:57 PM ET on Tuesday (3:27 AM IST, Wednesday).

This was Sunita Williams’ third spaceflight, bringing her cumulative time in space to 608 days, the second most for any U.S. astronaut after Peggy Whitson’s 675 days. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko holds the world record with 878 days in space. Williams, 59, was born in Ohio to a Gujarati father and Slovenian mother.

President Droupadi Murmu also congratulated Williams and the Crew-9 team, calling them an inspiration. “India’s daughter Sunita Williams and her fellow astronauts have inspired everyone with their perseverance, dedication, and never-say-die spirit,” she stated. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described her time in space as historic, while ISRO Chief S. Somanath acknowledged her resilience.

Williams’ family in the U.S. celebrated her return with prayers and a havan at their family temple. Her sister-in-law, Falguni Pandya, expressed gratitude for her safe return, saying, “We had all decided to come to the temple once she landed. She has always remained positive despite uncertainties.”

NASA’s Crew-9 mission is considered a milestone in space exploration, with astronauts conducting extensive research aboard the ISS. Modi emphasized that space exploration continues to push the limits of human potential, stating, “Space exploration is about pushing the limits of human potential, daring to dream, and having the courage to turn those dreams into reality.”