‘She had samosas in space, now it’s time for a samosa party!’: Sunita Williams’ family in India confirms astronaut will visit India soon

When Indian-origin Sunita Williams returned to Earth safely early on Wednesday morning, her family in India was the happiest of all. Her sister-in-law, Falguni Pandya, speaking to NDTV, described the moment as surreal as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore made a soft splashdown off Florida's coast.

Pandya confirmed that Sunita Williams will visit India soon, though the exact dates depend on her schedule and logistics, expressing hope that it will happen this year. Pandya also said that since Williams was the first astronaut to have samosas on the space station, she would be looking forward to hosting a ‘samosa party’ for her.

Pandya shared that Sunita Williams was excited when she mentioned visiting the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and had asked for pictures, eager to hear all about it. She also expressed gratitude to God for ensuring everything went well. She highlighted Williams' deep connection to India, her father Deepak Pandya’s ancestral land in Gujarat, and noted that she feels the love from India and its people.

She shared that she had sent Kaju Katli to Williams for her 59th birthday, which the astronaut celebrated in space on September 19 last year. When asked if Williams would return to space or be part of a Mars mission, Pandya said it would be her decision. She praised Williams for making the best of every situation and described her as a role model for everyone.

PM Modi is also looking forward to hosting Williams in India.

“After your return, we are looking forward to seeing you in India. It will be a pleasure for India to host one of its most illustrious daughters,” a letter dated March 1 and released on Tuesday said.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh shared the letter, addressed to Williams from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on Tuesday.

“When I met President Trump or President Biden during my visits to the US, I inquired about your well-being,” said PM Modi in the letter.

The letter was released just hours after Williams and Wilmore undocked from the ISS for their 17-hour journey home. PM Modi mentioned that during his meeting with former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino in Delhi, her name had come up in their discussion.

"We discussed how proud we are of you and your work. Following this interaction, I could not stop myself from writing to you," the letter said.

Upon a successful splashdown, Singh posted on X, saying, “A moment of glory, pride and relief! The whole world comes together to celebrate the safe return of this illustrious daughter of India who has instantly gone down in history for the courage, conviction and consistency with which she endured the uncertainties of space.”

What were the outcomes of an extended time in space and what happens next?

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 safely returned to Earth on Tuesday, completing the agency’s ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at 3:27 a.m. IST (5:57 p.m. EDT).

“We are thrilled to have Suni, Butch, Nick, and Aleksandr home after their months-long mission conducting vital science, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the International Space Station,” said NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro. “Per President Trump’s direction, NASA and SpaceX worked diligently to pull the schedule a month earlier. Through preparation, ingenuity, and dedication, we achieve great things together for the benefit of humanity, pushing the boundaries of what is possible from low Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars,” added Petro in a statement.

The four crewmembers are expected to fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston today to reunite with their families.

During their mission, Williams and Wilmore travelled 121.3 million miles, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 orbits around Earth, while Hague and Gorbunov covered 72.5 million miles over 171 days with 2,736 orbits. The Crew-9 mission marked Gorbunov’s first spaceflight, while Williams expanded her career totals to 608 days in space. Crew-9 contributed to various science, maintenance, and technology demonstrations, with Williams conducting two spacewalks—one with Wilmore and another with Hague—performing tasks such as antenna removal, collecting surface samples, and repairing light filters on an X-ray telescope.

She now holds the record for the most spacewalking time by a female astronaut at 62 hours and 6 minutes. The crew conducted over 150 scientific experiments and technology tests, accumulating 900 hours of research on plant growth, stem cell applications, circadian lighting, and the survival of microorganisms in space, while also preparing the first wooden satellite for deployment.