Earth missed you: PM Modi extends heartfelt welcome to Sunita Williams

Prime Minister PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended a heartfelt welcome to Sunita Williams following her return from an extended expedition in spaceWilliams along with NASA Crew9 astronauts Nick Hague Butch Wilmore and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov successfully splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule The return marks the end of a mission that lasted over nine months mdash far longer than originally plannedTaking to social media platform X formerly Twitter PM Modi praised the Crew9 team for their resilience and unwavering spirit during their missionWelcome 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 PM Modi postedWelcome 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 unknownhellip pictwittercomFkgagekJ7Cmdash Narendra Modi narendramodi March 19 2025He further applauded the efforts of those involved in the missions success highlighting the seamless blend of precision and technological expertise that made the safe return possibleSpace 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 We are incredibly proud of all those who worked tirelessly to ensure their safe return They have demonstrated what happens when precision meets passion and technology meets tenacity PM Modi addedNASAs Crew9 mission which included Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore was initially scheduled to last just a week However the mission was extended to over nine months due to technical issues with Boeings Starliner capsule which delayed their return NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov had also been in space since September 2024 making their homecoming highly anticipatedThe successful splashdown took place on Wednesday marking the completion of a challenging and prolonged mission The astronauts were carried out of the capsule on stretchers mdash a routine measure to help them adjust to Earths gravity after such a long period in microgravity CNN reportedWith inputs from ANI