New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who today began her return journey to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) after being stranded there for more than nine months.
In a letter dated March 1, which was shared by Union Minister Jitendra Singh on X today, 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.
The letter was made public hours after Ms Williams and her colleague, Butch Wilmore, undocked from the ISS for a 17-hour trip back home.
PM Modi recalled that at a meeting with former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino in Delhi this month, her name had come up in their conversation.
"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.
He said her mother, Bonnie Pandya, must be "keenly" awaiting her return.
"I am sure that Late Deepakbhai's blessings are with you as well," the Prime Minister said, referring to her father, Deepak Pandya, who was a resident of his home state, Gujarat, and died in 2020.
PM Modi also said he "fondly" remembers meeting him and her during his visit to the US in 2016.
"Even though you are thousands of miles away, you continue to remain close to our hearts. The people of India are praying for your good health and success in your mission," PM Modi told the 59-year-old astronaut.
"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," he added.
He also sent his "warm regards" to her husband, Michael Williams.
Sunita Williams and her colleague, Butch Wilmore, flew to the orbital lab on June 5 last year, on what was supposed to be a days-long roundtrip to test out Boeing's Starliner on its first crewed flight.
The spaceship, however, developed propulsion problems and was deemed unfit to fly them back. It instead returned uncrewed.
The two astronauts were then reassigned to the NASA-SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which saw a Dragon spacecraft fly to the ISS in September last year with a team of two -- American astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov -- rather than the usual four, to make room for the stranded astronauts.
On Sunday, a relief team -- Crew-10 -- docked with the space station to make the way for Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore's much-awaited homecoming, along with Mr Hague and Mr Gorbunov.
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