(Image source from: x.com/BJP4India)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a letter to Sunita Williams, the NASA astronaut of Indian descent, who commenced her journey back to Earth today after an extended stay of over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). In a letter dated March 1, which Union Minister Jitendra Singh shared on X today, the Prime Minister expressed his concern for Ms. Williams' well-being during his meetings with President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden in the United States, referencing her mission that began on June 5 last year. The release of this letter came shortly after Ms. Williams and her fellow astronaut, Butch Wilmore, undocked from the ISS for their 17-hour journey home.
PM Modi recalled a discussion he had in Delhi this month with former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, where Ms. Williams' accomplishments were highlighted. “We expressed our pride in you and your achievements. Following that conversation, I felt compelled to reach out to you,” he wrote.
“1.4 billion Indians hold immense pride in what you have achieved. Recent events have once again demonstrated your inspiring strength and resilience,” he added. The Prime Minister noted that her mother, Bonnie Pandya, must be eagerly anticipating her return. “I am confident that the blessings of Late Deepakbhai are with you,” he remarked, referring to her father, Deepak Pandya, who hailed from Gujarat and passed away in 2020. PM Modi fondly remembered meeting both of them during his 2016 visit to the US.
As the whole world waits, with abated breath, for the safe return of Sunita Williams, this is how PM Sh @narendramodi expressed his concern for this daughter of India.
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) March 18, 2025
“Even though you are thousands of miles away, you remain close to our hearts,” says PM Sh Narendra Modi’s… pic.twitter.com/MpsEyxAOU9
“Although you are many miles away, you are ever-present in our hearts. The citizens of India are praying for your health and success in your endeavors,” he conveyed to the 59-year-old astronaut. “We are looking forward to welcoming you back to India upon your return. It would be a privilege for our nation to host one of its esteemed daughters,” he further stated, while also sending his “warm regards” to her husband, Michael Williams.
Sunita Williams and her colleague, Butch Wilmore, arrived at the ISS on June 5 last year for what was intended to be a short round trip to evaluate Boeing's Starliner during its inaugural manned flight. However, the spacecraft encountered propulsion issues and was deemed unsafe for their return. Instead, it completed an uncrewed exit. Subsequently, the two astronauts were reassigned to the NASA-SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which had a Dragon spacecraft travel to the ISS in September last year with a smaller crew of just two—American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—to accommodate the stranded astronauts. On Sunday, a relief team, known as Crew-10, docked at the space station, paving the way for the long-awaited return of Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore, along with Mr. Hague and Mr. Gorbunov.
