Bhubaneswar: Odisha Governor, Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Wednesday extended their greetings over the safe return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth after a nine-month stay at the International Space Station.
Taking to X, Odisha Governor’s office said, “Hon’ble Governor, Shri @DrHariBabuK has congratulated Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore, the #Crew9 astronauts of @NASA, on their safe return to Earth after an extended mission at the @Space_Station. Their dedication will inspire the next generation.”
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also congratulated the duo on their safe return.
“Congratulations to NASA’s #Crew9 astronauts Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore on their safe return to Earth after an extended mission at the @Space_Station. Their dedication & resilience inspire us all. Welcome home! @NASA @SpaceX #CrewDragon #SpaceExploration,” Majhi said.
Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik said he was greatly relieved to know about the return of Sunita and Butch.
“Greatly relieved to know that NASA’s #Crew9 has safely returned to earth with India’s daughter #SunitaWilliams and fellow astronaut #ButchWilmore after spending more than nine months on the International Space Station. Your fortitude and remarkable grit in the face of uncertainty in outer space is a victory for the human spirit. Your historic sojourn will continue to inspire millions,” Patnaik said.
Wilmore and Williams ended up spending 286 days in space — 278 days longer than anticipated when they launched. They circled Earth 4,576 times and travelled 121 million miles (195 million kilometers) by the time of splashdown.
PTI