Gujarat’s Jhulasan Village Celebrates 'Daughter' Sunita Williams’ Safe Return To Earth | WATCH

Residents of Jhulasan in Gujarat, the ancestral village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, celebrated her safe return to Earth on Wednesday with 'aarti' and prayers. Williams had spent over nine months in space.

The festivities commenced following the successful splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft, which brought Williams back alongside Crew-9 members Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Photo Credit: ANI

Earlier, Williams' cousin, Dinesh Rawal, conducted a 'yagna' in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, seeking divine blessings for her safe return.

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

After touching down, Hague delivered his first message to mission control. Although the audio was slightly unclear, CNN reported that Hague could be heard stating that the crew was "grinning from ear to ear."

SpaceX announced the successful landing on X, stating, "Splashdown of Dragon confirmed - welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!"

NASA commentator Sandra Jones described the landing scene as "breathtaking," noting the ocean's "calm, glass-like" appearance.

SpaceX-operated recovery vessels are now set to retrieve the spacecraft. A rig aboard one of these ships will soon lift the capsule from the water and place it in the "Dragon's nest."

Just moments before touchdown, parachutes deployed to slow Crew Dragon's descent, reducing its speed to under 20 miles per hour, according to CNN.

Following the splashdown, teams at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will focus on assisting the astronauts in readjusting to Earth's gravity.

Initial medical assessments will be carried out aboard the recovery vessel, with continuous monitoring over the coming days and weeks. Later today, the Crew-9 team will be transported to NASA's facilities in Houston for further medical evaluations.

The much-anticipated return followed their departure from the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule at 1:05 am ET.