What Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore's Families Said Of The 9-Month Delay

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore safely landed on Earth on March 18, nine months after their eight-day mission turned into a gruelling 286-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their families and supporters back home watched with bated breath as the SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule splashed down off the Florida coast, bringing a collective sigh of relief. The mission not only proved mentally demanding for the astronauts but even for their families back home, who endured months of uncertainty and anticipation.

A Mission That Tested Everyone

Wilmore's wife, daughter

Butch Wilmore's 19-year-old daughter Daryn, shared real-time updates about her father's space mission on TikTok. "Hi everyone, welcome to the very final instalment of my dad is stuck in space because he's not anymore!... It’s happening, guys, it’s finally happening,” she said in her latest video, as Butch Wilmore returned home.

Daryn explained that her father would still be going in for several tests over the next few days, noting he's "still technically part of the experiment of human space flight" and it would take some time for him to get re-adjusted to Earth. "I'm so proud of my dad and I love him so much," she said. "Hollywood, I think a movie should happen."

Even before their return, Butch Wilmore's family shared their feelings about the nine-month wait. In an interview with WVLT-TV, Wilmore's wife, Deanna expressed, “He just takes it knowing the Lord's in control and that since the Lord's in control of it, he's content where he is. You just sort of roll with it and expect the unexpected.”

Williams' Indian-origin family

"The moment was surreal," expressed Sunita Williams' sister-in-law, Falguni Pandya, as the astronaut landed on Earth. "She is a role model for all of us," she shared, adding that they are excited to have her back and would throw a "samosa party" for her. Pandya also added that the family would visit their homeland, India, soon.

Sunita Williams is of Gujarati heritage, with her ancestors belonging to Mehsana. The city in Gujarat erupted in celebration, with firecrackers and chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' filling the air, as the astronaut returned to Earth. Even as Willaims was on her way back, the villagers gathered at the temple performed a ‘yagna’ and offered prayers.

#WATCH | Mehsana, Gujarat | People express joy and burst firecrackers in Jhulasan - the native village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams after the successful Splashdown of SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying Crew-9 at Tallahassee, Florida

NASA's astronauts Sunita Williams and… pic.twitter.com/fKs9EVnPSf

— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2025

Before her return, Williams' husband, Michael, said that he was not worried about her as space and the ISS are her ''happy place''. Even her mother, Bonnie Pandya, recently shared the same in an interview with NewsNation. "She's doing what she loves. So how could I feel sad about it or anything? I'm happy for her," she said.

In an August 2024 interview with TMZ, Bonnie Pandya expressed, “...I always want to make sure she’s safe before she comes back down... Honestly, I’m relieved they didn’t rush her return. There have already been two shuttle accidents, and I wouldn’t want that to happen to my daughter—or anyone else, for that matter. So, I believe it’s better to be safe than sorry.”