Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 19 (ANI): Former ISRO Chief Dr G Madhavan Nair on Wednesday said that returning of National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut Sunita Williams to Earth after being stranded at the International Space Station for nine months is a 'proud moment' for the Space community.

'It is a proud moment for all of us in the Space community. It is a successful completion of a rescue operation that lasted nearly nine months. The operation was planned in a very great manner, though it took time, but it was a very precise operation. I congratulate the entire NASA team and SpaceX for this great achievement. Sunita Williams has roots in India, she has successfully returned to India. And the last interview she has given from Spacecraft indicates how healthy and confident she is,' Nair told ANI.

Regarding the health concerns, he said, 'You know there is no gravitational force. The entire blood circulation system and the way muscle operates is different. Also, the study indicates the bone marrow, which is very important for the production of white cells, sometimes also deteriorates.'

Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his pride and admiration for NASA's Space Crew-9 mission, celebrating the safe return of astronaut Sunita Williams and her fellow crew members.

Taking on social media platform X, Singh lauded the astronauts' resilience and hailed their achievement as a milestone in human space exploration.

'Delighted at the safe return of NASA's #Crew9 on earth! The crew comprising of India's daughter Sunita Williams and other astronauts have rewritten the history of human endurance and perseverance in Space,' Singh wrote on X.

The Defence Minister went on to praise Sunita Williams, calling her journey a testament to incredible strength and spirit.

'Sunita Williams' incredible journey, unwavering dedication, fortitude and fighting spirit will inspire millions across the globe,' he added. Williams' return, Singh said, marked a moment of celebration not only for space enthusiasts but for the entire world.

The Crew-9 mission was the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, which previously supported NASA's SpaceX Crew-4, Axiom Mission 2, and Axiom Mission 3. The spacecraft will now undergo inspection and refurbishment at SpaceX's Cape Canaveral facility for future missions.

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth at 5:57 pm EDT. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the astronauts will travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to reunite with their families.

Crew-9's return follows the launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10, which docked with the station on March 16, beginning another long-duration mission.

NASA's Commercial Crew Program aims to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit. The program increases research opportunities aboard the ISS, supporting NASA's broader goals of human exploration of the Moon and Mars, NASA added. (ANI)