Sunita Williams returns home after 286 day space odyssey

Modi greets “one of India most illustrious daughters” saying she exemplified the human spirit of having the courage to turn dreams into reality

By Arun Kumar

Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams, described as one of India’s most illustrious daughters by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, finally returned to earth after an extended 286-day space odyssey.

Williams and fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, who were supposed to stay in space for just a week, safely splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida at 5:57 p.m. ET Tuesday, with NASA’s Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency.

READ: Back on Earth, Sunita Williams will miss everything in space (March 18th, 2025) 

The crew’s highly anticipated return came after the crew climbed aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and departed the International Space Station at 1:05 a.m. ET Tuesday.

The quartet are part of the Crew-9 mission, a routine staff rotation jointly operated by NASA and SpaceX. The Crew-9 capsule launched to the space station in September with Hague and Gorbunov riding alongside two empty seats reserved for Williams and Wilmore, who had been on the orbiting laboratory since last June, when their original ride — a Boeing Starliner spacecraft — malfunctioned and prevented their scheduled return.

But the length of the duo’s stay in space is not record-breaking. Williams and Wilmore’s extended mission concluded after 286 days, which is still significantly shorter than the world record of 437 days in orbit held by the late Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov.

Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and reunite with their families.

President Donald Trump on celebrated the return of Williams and Wilmore taking credit for their safe homecoming. The White House’s official X account posted, “PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to @ElonMusk, @SpaceX, and @Nasa!”

Meanwhile Donald Trump also shared a video on X of the splashdown with the caption, “USA! More winning.”

Modi too welcomed Williams and the Crew-9 astronauts as they returned to Earth. “Welcome back, #Crew9! The Earth missed you,” he wrote on X along with a picture with Williams. Modi defined the nine-month stay at the (ISS) as 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,” he wrote.

“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.”

In a March 1 letter to Williams, Modi wrote, “1.4 billion Indians have always taken great pride in your achievements. Recent developments have yet again showcased your inspirational fortitude and perseverance. Even though you are thousands of miles away, you continue to remain close to our hearts. The people of India are praying for your good health and success in your mission.”

Modi also recalled meeting Williams during his visit to the US in 2016 and added that he looks forward to seeing her in India. “It will be a pleasure for India to host one of its most illustrious daughters,” he added.

“We are thrilled to have Suni, Butch, Nick, and Aleksandr home after their months-long mission conducting vital science, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the International Space Station,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro.

Williams and Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles during their mission, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 orbits around Earth. Williams has logged 608 days in space over her three flights, and Wilmore has logged 464 days in space over his three flights.

Throughout its mission, Crew-9 contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Williams conducted two spacewalks, joined by Wilmore for one and Hague for another, removing a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collecting samples from the station’s external surface for analysis, installing patches to cover damaged areas of light filters on an X-ray telescope, and more.

Williams now holds the record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut, with 62 hours and 6 minutes outside of station, and is fourth on the all-time spacewalk duration list.

The American crew members conducted more than 150 unique scientific experiments and technology demonstrations between them, with over 900 hours of research. This research included investigations on plant growth and quality, as well as the potential of stem cell technology to address blood diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancers. They also tested lighting systems to help astronauts maintain circadian rhythms, loaded the first wooden satellite for deployment, and took samples from the space station’s exterior to study whether microorganisms can survive in space.