“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.” NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore returned home in a picture perfect splashdown off the coast of Florida in the US after a 17-hour-long journey and having spent nearly 10 months in space. The duo had travelled to the International Space Station on a mission that was meant to last only 8 days. Aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, they bid goodbye to Earth on June 5, 2024. Technical difficulties ensued and their return stalled. Starliner’s thruster malfunctioned and it was unsafe to return home. The calendar pages flipped, the 8 days turned into 286 days. Having completed 4,576 laps of the Earth and 195 million kilometers clocked on their dashboard, the two astronauts looked cheerful upon their return, something that wasn’t lost when they were enduring their extended day on ISS. As the world waited with bated breath wishing for their safe return, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a meaningful letter to Sunita Williams. “1.4 billion Indians have always taken great pride in your achievements. Recent developments have yet again showcased your inspirational fortitude and perseverance.” “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. Ms Bonnie Pandya must be keenly awaiting your return and I am sure that Late Deepakbhai’s blessings are with you as well. I fondly remember meeting him along with you during my visit to the United States in 2016,” Modi stated. Indians have proudly called Suni Williams their own. Jhulasan village, the ancestral home of Williams’ father, Deepak Pandya, came alive with prayers and lighting an Akhand Jyot (eternal flame) wishing for her safe return. Amid all the celebrations and prayers, curious janta had their set of questions. Also Read: What Is Grok And Why It Has Become India’s Favourite New Toy In the days and weeks leading up to Williams’ return, a large number of searches were made on Google in India. What were they, you ask? Sunita Williams Salary Kya salary hai? A question no Indian can ever escape, not even when you are an American astronaut with desi roots. One of the top queries on Google simply read: “Sunita Williams salary per year in Indian rupees.” (Google Trends) Williams holds GS-15 rankings- highest tier in the US General Pay Schedule. Which means her base pay can range anywhere from $125,133 (INR 1 crore approximately) to $162,672 (INR 1.4 crore), a report in CNBCTV18 noted. But will she get overtime allowance? Yes. Her earnings for the extended stay could range between $93,850 (INR 80 lakh approx.) and $122,004 (INR 1 crore approx.), the report further added. These salary figures and overstay incentives are same for Butch Wilmore. Also Read: Impact Player To No-Ball DRS: IPL Rules That Changed The Way We Watch Cricket Sunita Williams – Where? One of the top searches in India in the past few days was: “Sunita Williams kahan gayi thi (What place did Sunita Williams visit).” Space. Sunita Williams stayed on the International Space Station for over 9 months. The International Space Station orbits at an altitude of 400km above sea level. There is plenty of gravity aboard ISS. About 90% that of Earth’s. So why do astronauts float? Because the ISS is in constant state of free fall. The fall, however, isn’t toward Earth but around Earth. Similarly, moon is also falling around our planet. The velocity (27,600 km/h) of the ISS is same as the rate at which the ship is also moving around the Earth. The astronauts on ISS hence experience weightlessness in zero-g and not zero gravity. (Google Trends) Sunita Williams Return Video The visuals of the astronauts returning to Earth are absolutely stunning. No wonder a lot of curious people wanted to catch a glimpse. “Framed by a light blue sky and tranquil azure sea, the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is seen descending. It is suspended by four large orange-and-white parachutes. The drone capturing this footage tracks to the right as the capsule touches the surface of the water, and its chutes follow gracefully,” wrote NASA in an Instagram post welcoming their humans back on Earth. Splashdown confirmed! #Crew9 is now back on Earth in their @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. pic.twitter.com/G5tVyqFbAu — NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2025 Welcome back to Earth, Sunita Williams! ? After an extended mission, your resilience and dedication continue to inspire. Wishing you a smooth recovery! #SunitaWilliams #sunitawilliamsreturn #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/kAvCzirE45 — Nigel D'Souza (@Nigel__DSouza) March 19, 2025 Florida Time Williams returned to Eart as the Dragon made a splash off the Florida coast at 3.27 am IST on Wednesday. The local time in the US 5:57 pm Tuesday, Florida time. Early hours in India didn’t deter excited public to tune in. India is 9 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Florida. “I am very grateful to God and very happy for Sunita’s homecoming. It was a long wait. There was no nervousness. It was pure joy. I prayed and made a vow that after everything goes well I will be at the temple and here I am,” an elated Falguni Pandya said upon her sister’s return. Meanwhile, the 59-year-old astronaut has clocked 608 in space spanning across her three flights. Williams has done 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalk, most by any female astronaut, noted NASA.