NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth on Wednesday (March 19) after a nine-month space exploration mission. She, along with her fellow astronaut, Butch Wilmore, returned by taking an alternate route home to conclude a journey that started over nine months ago with a failed test flight. Several celebrities took to their respective social media accounts to hail Sunita.
In an X (formerly known as Twitter) post, megastar Chiranjeevi praised the duo’s return to Earth and called it ‘historic’.
“WELCOME BACK TO EARTH. Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore!! HISTORIC & HEROIC ‘HOME’ COMING!!! Went for 8 Days to Space & Returned after 286 Days, after an Astonishing 4577 orbits around earth ! “Your Story is Unmatchably Dramatic, Utterly Nerve – Wracking , Unbelievably Nail Baiting Thriller & The Greatest Adventure Ever. A True Blue Blockbuster!! More Power To You!!! @Astro_Suni. Kudos to #SpaceXDragon #Crew9 for bringing them back ! #SunitaWilliams (sic),” he wrote.
On Instagram, actor R Madhavan shared a video of Sunita coming out of the SpaceX capsule and said the prayers of the whole world have been answered.
“Welcome back to Earth our Dear Dear Sunita Williams. #sunitawilliams ..Our prayers have been answered… so wonderful to see you safe and smiling. After more than 260 uncertain days in space this is all Gods grace and millions of praying souls prayers being answered .. Great Job all at #spacexfalcon9 #nasa AND the entire crew. God bless you,” he captioned his post.
Actor and politician Ravi Kishan called Sunita ‘India’s daughter’ while interacting with media persons.
In a video posted by ANI, he is heard saying, “Welcome! India’s daughter is pride of India… It was a great joy to see her landing. It is a matter of pride for the whole of India, NASA. All the children studying Space have a lot to learn from her.”
Here’s how other celebs reacted:
Sunita’s SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico in the early evening, mere hours after leaving the International Space Station. The splashdown, which took place off the coast of Tallahassee in the Florida Panhandle, marked the conclusion of their unexpected journey.
Sunita, 59, a former US Navy captain, was born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, to a Gujarati father, Deepak Pandya, from Jhulasan in Mehsana district, and a Slovenian mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya.
