New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma and former National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson offered best wishes to NASA's Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams on her return to Earth after a successful space mission and said she looked forward to meeting her.

'I would like to give her my best wishes. We wish her good health. We are looking forward to meeting her once she comes to India. We welcome her,' Rekha Sharma told ANI.

Earlier in the day, Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy also congratulated Williams, sharing her joy on the astronaut's return.

'I feel extremely happy. A daughter has come back home. And what a difficult period she had. My blessings and congratulations to her,' Murthy said.

BJP MP Ravi Kishan welcomed the astronaut's return, expressing deep admiration for her accomplishments.

'A very warm welcome. India's daughter is the pride of India. Many congratulations to the whole of India, to the entire Gujarat, to the village where this 'Durga' was born, where this 'Shakti' was born whose name is Sunita Williams. This shows how much capability is there in the daughters of India, and this message has spread far and wide,' said Kishan.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm welcome to Sunita Williams on Wednesday after her return from the extended space expedition aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, 'Welcome back, Crew9! The Earth missed you. Theirs has been a test of grit, courage and the boundless human spirit. Sunita Williams and the #Crew9 astronauts have once again shown us what perseverance truly means. Their unwavering determination in the face of the vast unknown will forever inspire millions,' PM Modi also hailed those who worked tirelessly to ensure Williams' safe return, saying that they 'have demonstrated what happens when precision meets passion and technology meets tenacity.'

'Space exploration is about pushing the limits of human potential, daring to dream, and having the courage to turn those dreams into reality. Sunita Williams, a trailblazer and an icon, has exemplified this spirit throughout her career. We are incredibly proud of all those who worked tirelessly to ensure their safe return. They have demonstrated what happens when precision meets passion and technology meets tenacity,' PM Modi added in the post.

NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov breathed Earth's air for the first time in over nine months on Wednesday after the successful splashdown of SpaceX's Dragon capsule in the Gulf of America off the coast of Florida.

The astronauts disembarked the capsule on stretchers, as is customary, CNN reported. SpaceX takes this precaution for all astronauts returning from long-duration space missions.

NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov have been in space since September 2024. However, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams had been away much longer--their journey began last June.

Initially expected to last just a week, their mission was extended to more than nine months due to issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule, which delayed their return. (ANI)