New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has penned a note on social media after Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore arrived on Earth on Wednesday after staying nine months in space.

In his X post, the Prime Minister wrote, "Welcome 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."

"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." "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," he added.

Bringing the astronauts back to Earth, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 completed the agency’s ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday, splashing down safely in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of America.

"NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth at 5:57 p.m. EDT," read a statement issued by NASA.

Sunita Williams return home after spending 286 days in space. Photo Courtesy: NASA HQ Photo X page

According to reports, the capsule made a fiery entry through the Earth's atmosphere and then four parachutes opened when the four returning astronauts splash down off the coast of Florida.

Making an interesting visual, a pod of dolphins circled the aircraft after the capsule hit the water. The recovery ships soon took the astronauts away after their safe landing.

"After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and reunite with their families," NASA said.

The astronauts will now undergo a long recovery process.

Crew-9 Mission 

The Crew-9 mission was the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom.

It also previously supported NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4, Axiom Mission 2, and Axiom Mission 3.

The spacecraft will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX’s refurbishing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where teams will inspect the Dragon, analyze data on its performance, and begin processing for its next flight.

The Crew-9 flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and its return to Earth follows on the heels of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 launch, which docked to the station on March 16, beginning another long-duration science expedition.