PM Modi Posts Picture with Sunita Williams, Joyfully Welcomes Crew-9 to Earth

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his happiness on the social media platform X after astronaut Sunita Williams and the Crew-9 team returned safely to Earth. PM Narendra Modi shared an old photo with Sunita Williams on social media platform X and wrote in the caption, "Welcome Crew-9, Earth missed you. It was a test of their patience, courage and human spirit. Sunita Williams and the astronauts of Crew-9 have once again shown us what perseverance really means. Their unwavering determination in the face of the unknown will always inspire millions." PM Modi further said, “Space exploration means pushing the boundaries of human capability, 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. We are extremely proud of all those who worked tirelessly to ensure the safe return of Crew-9. They have shown what happens when precision meets passion and technology meets perseverance.”

Let us tell you that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, as well as NASA's Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, have returned to Earth after a nine-month long mission. The astronauts were safely landed on the coast of Florida by SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The astronauts who returned to Earth had a beautiful and unexpected experience. They were welcomed by dolphins. As soon as the Dragon capsule landed in the sea, dolphins were seen swimming around the capsule. It was an almost magical moment as dolphins circled around the Dragon capsule before it was placed on the recovery vessel. The recovery team carefully opened the capsule's side hatch, which was open for the first time since September. The astronauts were evacuated from the capsule and taken to Houston for a 45-day rehabilitation program. Crew-9's return to Earth had its own challenges. Originally, the mission (which was supposed to be the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner) was supposed to last just eight days.