After 9 months in Space, Sunita Williams' return to Earth sparks celebrations in Gujarat [WATCH]

People in Jhulasan, Gujarat, the ancestral village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, celebrated her safe return to Earth after nearly nine months in space. The community performed aarti and prayers following the successful splashdown of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, bringing back Williams and Crew-9 members.

Ahmedabad: People in Jhulasan, the native village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, celebrated her safe return to Earth on Wednesday (Mar 19) by performing aarti and offering prayers after she spent nearly nine months in space. The celebrations began after the successful splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft, which brought Williams back to Earth along with Crew-9 members Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

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Sunita Williams' ancestral village in Gujarat organised Yagna for safe return

Earlier, the NASA astronaut's cousin, Dinesh Rawal, organized a 'Yagna' in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to pray for her safe return.

Speaking to ANI, "We all pray to God, even if we are far away, we pray together for her safe arrival. She is coming, and that is why we are all happy. We are praying with all our friends, asking God to bring them safely to earth. In our village, a big prayer ceremony and bhajan by the Mahila Mandal has been started, and it will continue till tomorrow morning. May God fulfill all our wishes, both material and spiritual, and guide us with his blessings. We offer our prayers with flowers, incense, and devotion, trusting that Lord Ganesha and the divine powers will bring peace and safety. With faith in Lord Shiva, we bow down in reverence, seeking blessings and divine protection for our loved ones."

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Dinesh Pandya, a priest at the temple, said, "We are all very happy and we have been praying for her (NASA astronaut Sunita Williams) for the last nine months. When she went to space for the first time, she took a picture of Dola Mata with her. Whenever she comes to India, she definitely visits the temple."

SpaceX confirmed the splashdown, and NASA astronaut Nick Hague shared that the crew was "grinning ear to ear" after their safe return.

Following the landing, NASA astronaut Nick Hague delivered his first message to mission control. While the audio was somewhat unclear, Hague could be heard saying that the crew was "grinning ear to ear," CNN reported. "Splashdown of Dragon confirmed - welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!" SpaceX announced in a post on X.

NASA commentator Sandra Jones described the landing scene, stating,"There's just breathtaking views of a calm, glass-like ocean."

Moments before touchdown, a set of parachutes deployed to slow Crew Dragon's descent, bringing it to speeds of less than 20 miles per hour, CNN reported.
Following the splashdown, teams at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will focus on helping the astronauts re-acclimate to Earth's gravity.

The crew is to undergo initial medical check-ups now and to be transported to NASA' facilities

The crew will undergo initial medical checks aboard the rescue ship, with continuous monitoring in the coming days and weeks. Later today, the Crew-9 team will be transported to NASA's facilities in Houston, where they will receive additional medical evaluations.

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 am ET.

Williams and Wilmore's mission has been the subject of nearly constant speculation and scrutiny. Williams and Wilmore's prolonged stay in space had been the subject of intense speculation. However, the astronauts have repeatedly refuted claims that they were "abandoned," "stuck," or "stranded," as per CNN.

"That's been the narrative from day one: stranded, abandoned, stuck -- and I get it, we both get it," Wilmore told CNN in February. "Help us change the narrative, let's change it to: prepared and committed despite what you've been hearing. That's what we prefer."