The ancestral home of American astronaut Sunita Williams, who is of Indian descent, erupted in celebration when she safely returned to Earth after a nine-month stint in space, according to local media.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were stuck in orbit for nine months due to technical failures of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. They finally departed the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX capsule on Tuesday, along with two other astronauts – NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
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Hague and Gorbunov arrived at the space station in September to conduct experiments and perform spacewalks to carry out maintenance, according to NASA.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule containing the four astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Florida, after a 17-hour descent.
The unplanned welcome crew!
Crew-9 had some surprise visitors after splashing down this afternoon.🐬 pic.twitter.com/yuOxtTsSLV
— NASA’s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) March 18, 2025
Residents of Williams’ ancestral village in the Indian state of Gujarat gathered to offer prayers and perform traditional rituals, while others danced in the streets and lit fireworks to mark the occasion, according to reports. Many were seen cheering while watching a NASA live-stream as they gathered to pray for Williams.
After the astronauts landed safely, villagers set off firecrackers and danced during the night as they celebrated her safe return near a temple in the village.
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Earlier in the day, Dinesh Rawal, Williams’ cousin, organized a ‘Yagna’, or holy function, to pray for her safe return. “When she returned, we jumped with joy… I was so happy… Till yesterday, I had an unsettling feeling deep in my heart… God has listened to our prayers and brought our Suni back safely…” Rawal was quoted as saying by ANI.