Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned home after their eight-day mission to the International Space Station turned into a nine-month-long ordeal to bring them back. They flew on a Boeing Starliner to space on June 5 last year and returned in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft this morning.

The space capsule deployed its parachute before a splashdown in the ocean off the coast of Florida. The two astronauts travelled along with NASA’s Nick Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov for 17 hours on their journey home.

A NASA team opened the hatch and helped astronauts onto mobility aids.

Ms Williams was seen waving and flashing thumbs-up signs as she came out of the capsule.

THE MOMENT! Sunita Williams exits the Dragon capsule#sunitawilliamsreturn #SunitaWillams pic.twitter.com/sCsYw7MUgq

— JUST IN | World (@justinbroadcast) March 18, 2025

Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks! pic.twitter.com/M4RZ6UYsQ2

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025

The spacecraft initiated a deorbit burn – A manoeuvre in which the spacecraft fires its engines and turns around in the direction it is travelling, helping it slow down – at 2:41 am, before a splash down 44 minutes later at 3:27 am.

Live Updates: Sunita Williams’ Spacecraft Splashes Down Near Florida Coast

Crew-9 undocked at 10:35 am (IST), with NASA sharing a video of the spacecraft detaching from the space station. Elon Musk’s SpaceX was tasked with the responsibility to bring Crew-9 back to Earth. The Dragon capsule atop the Falcon 9 rocket was launched for the mission. Crew-10 has replaced Crew-9 at the International Space Station.

US President Donald Trump has accused the previous Biden administration of abandoning them. The White House responded to the mission’s success and said President Trump made a “promise and kept it.”

PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months.

Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to @ElonMusk, @SpaceX, and @NASA! pic.twitter.com/r01hVWAC8S

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 18, 2025

8 Days To 9 Months

Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore, both former Navy pilots, had flown to the orbital lab on June 5 last year on what was supposed to be an eight-day mission and the first crewed flight of a Boeing Starliner. They were left stranded after the Starliner capsule suffered propulsion issues. Deemed unfit to fly, it returned uncrewed in September.

Amid uncertainty over their return journey, NASA reassigned them to SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, and a Dragon spacecraft was sent in September with a two-member crew, instead of the usual four, to make space for the stranded astronauts.

After a series of delays, a Dragon spacecraft carrying a relief team docked at the space station on Sunday.

Challenges Ahead For Sunita And Butch

Bone and muscle deterioration, radiation exposure, and vision impairment are some of the challenges space travellers have to face upon their return to Earth after a prolonged stay.

The lack of gravity causes significant and often irreparable, bone density loss. As per NASA, for every month in space, astronauts’ weight-bearing bones become roughly one per cent less dense if they don’t take precautions to counter this loss.

Muscles, usually activated by simply moving around on Earth, also weaken because they no longer need to work as hard.

One of the most dangerous impacts of spending time in space is radiation exposure. While Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field shield humans from high levels of radiation, such protection is not available for astronauts.

PM Modi Writes Letter To Sunita Williams

Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s letter to Sunita Williams was made public after she began her journey back home from space. 

In a letter dated March 1, which was shared by Union Minister Jitendra Singh on X, the Prime Minister said he had inquired about the well-being of Ms Williams – who flew to the orbital lab on June 5 last year – when he met President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, during his visits to the United States. 

“We discussed how proud we are of you and your work. Following this interaction, I could not stop myself from writing to you,” PM Modi said.

“1.4 billion Indians have always taken great pride in your achievements. Recent developments have yet again showcased your inspirational fortitude and perseverance,” he wrote.

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke for over two hours during a phone-call, discussing ways to end the ongoing war in Ukraine and ways to establish “lasting peace”.

Kremlin’s Full Statement On Trump-Putin Call

The leaders continued a detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine. Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to Donald Trump for his desire to help achieve the noble goal of ending hostilities and human losses.

Having confirmed his fundamental commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the Russian President declared his readiness to work together with his American partners to thoroughly explore possible ways of resolving the conflict, which should be comprehensive, sustainable and long-term. And, of course, to take into account the absolute need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, and Russia’s legitimate interests in the area of security.

In the context of the US President’s initiative to introduce a 30-day ceasefire, the Russian side outlined a number of significant points concerning ensuring effective control over a possible ceasefire along the entire line of combat contact, the need to stop forced mobilization in Ukraine and rearm the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Serious risks associated with the inability to negotiate of the Kyiv regime, which has repeatedly sabotaged and violated the agreements reached, were also noted. Attention was drawn to the barbaric terrorist crimes committed by Ukrainian militants against the civilian population of the Kursk region.

It was emphasized that the key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict and working towards its resolution through political and diplomatic means should be the complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv.

In connection with Donald Trump’s recent appeal to spare the lives of Ukrainian servicemen surrounded in the Kursk region, Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russian side is ready to be guided by humanitarian considerations and, in the event of their surrender, guarantees the lives and decent treatment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in accordance with Russian laws and international law.

During the conversation, Donald Trump put forward a proposal for the parties to the conflict to mutually refrain from attacks on energy infrastructure facilities for 30 days. Vladimir Putin responded positively to this initiative and immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding order.

The Russian President also responded constructively to Donald Trump’s idea of implementing a well-known initiative concerning the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. It was agreed to begin negotiations to further elaborate specific details of such an agreement.

Vladimir Putin informed that on March 19, a prisoner exchange will be carried out between the Russian and Ukrainian sides – 175 for 175 people. In addition, as a gesture of goodwill, 23 seriously wounded Ukrainian servicemen who are being treated in Russian medical institutions will be transferred.

The leaders confirmed their intention to continue efforts to achieve a Ukrainian settlement in a bilateral mode, including taking into account the above-mentioned proposals of the US President. For this purpose, Russian and American expert groups are being created.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump also touched upon other issues on the international agenda, including the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea region. Joint efforts will be made to stabilize the situation in crisis areas, establish cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and global security. This, in turn, will contribute to improving the overall atmosphere of Russian-American relations. One positive example is the joint vote in the UN on the resolution on the Ukrainian conflict.

Mutual interest was expressed in normalizing bilateral relations in light of the special responsibility of Russia and the United States for ensuring security and stability in the world. In this context, a wide range of areas in which our countries could establish interaction was considered. A number of ideas were discussed that are moving towards the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the economy and energy sector.

Donald Trump supported Vladimir Putin’s idea to organize hockey matches in the USA and Russia between Russian and American players playing in the NHL and KHL.

The presidents agreed to remain in contact on all issues raised.

Amid arson and vandalism in Maharashtra’s Nagpur – over demands Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s grave be moved out of the state – ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday questioned the need for a face-off on this issue, pointing out the controversial ruler had died over 300 years ago.

“If you want you can remove his grave…. but call C Naidu and Nitish Kumar…” he also quipped.

The reference to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (Chandrababu Naidu) and his Bihar counterpart – both key BJP allies – has been seen in the light of the Muslim population in each state, and the importance of their votes to the TDP and JDU, particularly with elections next year in the latter state.

Mr Thackeray also threw in a second jab at the BJP, pointing out Aurangzeb had, in fact, been born in Gujarat; he was born in 1618 in Dahod in Gujarat and died near Maharashtra’s Bhingar in 1707.

#WATCH | Mumbai: On Nagpur violence, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray says, “I am not the Chief Minister, nor am I the Home Minister, ask the Chief Minister who is behind this (violence). Because the RSS headquarters is there. There is a double-engine government here; if… pic.twitter.com/VUTg58l7E9

— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2025

Uddhav Thackeray’s comment was echoed by his son Aaditya Thackeray, who accused the BJP of orchestrating this controversy to distract from the state government’s failures. In a sharp attack of his own, Thackeray junior also accused the BJP of trying to “make a Manipur of Maharashtra”.

“Sadly, when the BJP cannot govern… they resort to violence and riots. If you look at Manipur… that is exactly what they want to convert Maharashtra to. They are trying to dig up the history of someone who lived over 300 years ago, but they cannot speak about the future… the present.”

VIDEO | On Nagpur violence, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) says, “The BJP is shameless about it when it happened in the hometown of the CM. Sadly, when the BJP cannot govern, they resort to violence, riots, this is their set formula in every state, if you… pic.twitter.com/Jo9uFn24va

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 18, 2025

“The irony is the grave is protected by the central government…” he added.

Aurangzeb’s grave is a historical monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, a decision by an earlier administration that the Chief Minister has publicly rued, saying, “We want the same thing (to remove the grave) but you need to do it within the framework of the law.”

Violence Over Mughal King’s Grave

Houses and shops were vandalised, vehicles were set on fire, and nearly 40 people injured in violence that erupted Monday starting 7.30 pm, reportedly after hardline group Vishwa Hindu Parishad burnt a photo of the Mughal ruler wrapped in a green cloth to ‘symbolise his grave’.

READ | “Police Came After They Ran Away”: Nagpur Residents Recall Horror

According to Mr Fadnavis, this was a rumour – part of the “conspiracy” – and the VHP protesters had only burnt a “symbolic grave with bundles of grass”. However, after the rumour was spread, around 250 Muslims arrived at the VHP’s protest site and threatened violence.

“When people said they would set vehicles on fire, police used force,” he said.

Homes and shops were vandalised and vehicles set on fire in Nagpur (Credit: PTI)

This morning Maharashtra’s junior Home Minister, Yogesh Kadam, said 47 people have been detained so far. He said at least a dozen cops and two civilians had been badly injured.

The violence triggered a predictable political squabble between the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi and the BJP and its ally, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction.

‘Chhava‘ And A “Conspiracy”

Speaking in the Assembly this afternoon, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed a “premeditated conspiracy… to target specific houses and establishments”.

And, in a twist that led to a scornful retort from the opposition’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, he also blamed ‘Chhava‘, a recently released Hindi film about the Marathas battle with Aurangzeb.

READ | Devendra Fadnavis’ ‘Chhaava’ Mention In Assembly On Nagpur Violence

Mr Shinde, was more direct in his attacks, claiming a “pre- planned conspiracy to target people belonging to a specific community” and declaring “patriotic Muslims will never support Aurangzeb”.

He also branded those defending Aurangzeb “traitors”.

The BJP-Shiv Sena’s allegations of an ‘opposition conspiracy’ behind the Nagpur violence were firmly dismissed, with Uddhav Thackeray pointing out the clashes took place in a city home to the head office of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is the BJP’s ideological mentor.

“I am not the Chief Minister… nor am I the Home Minister. Ask the Chief Minister who is behind this violence. Because the RSS headquarters is there. There is a double-engine government here and if it has failed, then they should resign…” he told reporters.

The Congress has also responded, with its Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar saying on X, “Deliberate efforts are being made to spread hatred and incite conflict… by the ruling class”.

The situation in Nagpur has calmed down, officials said this morning. However, a curfew and prohibitory orders – banning large gatherings – remain in place in several areas, police said.

With input from agencies

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.