NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after 286 days in space on SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom spacecraft safely. Their mission, originally planned for eight days, had been prolonged due to technical problems, such as failures with Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which had postponed their return.
Williams’ homecoming was celebrated worldwide as major personalities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah, and Indian celebrities congratulated him. Even U.S. President Donald Trump glorified the homecoming as ‘Promises Made, Promises Kept’. Trump and his friend Elon Musk have, however, accused former President Joe Biden of postponing the homecoming of the astronauts for ‘political reasons’.
During a White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, criticized the Biden administration’s ‘lack of urgency’ and declared that their prolonged time away in space was the result of Biden’s refusal to act boldly and decisively. “Joe Biden’s inability to act boldly and decisively was one of the principal factors, if not the sole reason, why Butch and Suni did not return until yesterday,” she stated. Leavitt underscored that the Trump administration, assisted by Musk, would have moved in a timely manner to save the astronauts. “President Trump doesn’t waste time,” she stated.
#WATCH | Washington, DC | “We saw the very best of America. After spending nearly 300 days aboard the International Space Station, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are back on Earth. These two incredible astronauts were only supposed to be up there for eight days, but because of… pic.twitter.com/g62Mssaohe
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2025
While Wilmore and Williams were not initially invited to the White House, Trump assured that they would be welcomed as soon as they finished recovering from the physical effects of space travel. They are on a 45-day rehabilitation program to reverse the effects of long-term weightlessness, including muscle loss and bone density loss.
Williams and Wilmore’s longer mission emphasized NASA’s successful collaboration with private industry such as SpaceX and Boeing. Their return also highlighted the difficulties of astronauts and the determination needed to overcome space-related challenges.
“Welcome back, Crew9! The Earth missed you. Theirs has been a test of grit, courage, and the boundless human spirit,” PM Modi tweeted, lauding the astronauts’ resilience.
