'Earth missed you': Modi welcomes Sunita Williams and Crew-9 on their return
What Crew-9 astronauts have achieved have shown us ‘what perseverance truly means’, Modi said on X, praising the astronauts for their unwavering determination
Prime Minister Narendra Modi went all out to praise Sunita Williams and Crew-9 astronauts for their “unwavering determination in the face of the vast unknown”.
What the Crew-9 astronauts have achieved have once again shown us ‘what perseverance truly means’, Modi said in a post on X.
'Earth missed you'
In the post, Modi welcoming Sunita Williams and the Crew-9 astronauts back to earth, saying 'earth missed you', paid a heartfelt tribute to NASA's Crew-9 members.
Crew-9 returned early Wednesday morning in SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft and safely splashed down off the coast of Florida at 3.27 am (IST).
Also read: Dizziness, gravity sickness, weightless tongue, baby feet: What astronauts face back on earth
Inspiration to millions
Acknowledging their feat, Modi said the Crew-9’s achievements will forever inspire millions. “Theirs has been a test of grit, courage and the boundless human spirit,” he said.
The prime minister pointed out that space exploration is about pushing the limits of human potential, daring to dream and having the courage to turn those dreams into reality.
“Sunita Williams, a trailblazer and an icon, has exemplified this spirit throughout her career,” he said, adding that India is incredibly proud of all those who worked hard to ensure their safe return.
They have demonstrated what happens when precision meets passion and technology meets tenacity.
Also watch: NASA Live | Sunita Williams’ return isn’t a rescue mission: Expert
Wilmore and Williams' extended stay in space
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore flew aboard NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test to space on June 5 last year.
It was meant to be an eight-day mission to the ISS but NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks in the Starliner and noticed some issues with its propulsion systems. The Starliner was sent back to Earth without the crew.
Later, in August, NASA reassigned the two astronauts to SpaceX's Crew-9 mission. NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov flew to the space station as commander and mission specialist, respectively, as part of a two-crew member flight aboard a SpaceX Dragon.
Today, after over nine months, the Crew-9 team returned to earth.
Also watch: Sunita Williams returns: Science behind astronaut recovery, what India can learn
Breaking records
Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams spent 286 days in space, much longer than anticipated when they launched.
During this time span, the duo had circled Earth 4,576 times and travelled 195 million kilometres.
Sunita Williams notched up 608 cumulative days in space, the second most for any American astronaut after Peggy Whitson's 675 days.
However, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko set the world record last year by spending 878 cumulative days.