Lucknow, Mar 19 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other leaders of the state on Wednesday welcomed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Sunita Williams to have safely returned to Earth after an extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, completed a mission that was originally planned for eight days but was extended due to a technical glitch in their Boeing spacecraft.

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Adityanath took to social media to express his admiration, describing Williams as "India's illustrious daughter".

"We are thrilled to welcome back India's illustrious daughter, Sunita Williams, after her stellar journey in space!" Adityanath posted on X.

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He continued, offering his congratulations to Williams and her fellow astronaut Wilmore as well as the teams behind the mission's success.

"Heartfelt congratulations to the fearless Crew-9 astronauts and the brilliant minds behind this mission's success. This remarkable feat stands as a shining testament to human spirit, courage, and commitment. Your inspiring journey fills 1.4 billion Indians with immense pride. Welcome home!" the UP chief minister said.

The astronaut's return was also celebrated by political leaders across party lines. Samajwadi Party president and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav posted in Hindi, welcoming Williams home.

"Hearty welcome and congratulations to Sunita Williams on her safe return. Space flight, apart from being a strong foundation for man's achievement of knowledge and science, also forms a strong foundation for spiritual advancement..." Yadav wrote.

He further reflected on the broader significance of space exploration, saying, "Space also makes human thinking positive and cordial, or we can say that space erases narrow-mindedness and also expands human perspective and thoughts like space."

UP Congress president Ajay Rai also greeted Williams.

"Welcome back, @Astro_Suni! Many congratulations and best wishes to you upon your safe and successful return with NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore," he posted on X.

"We in India are delighted to have you back after the conclusion of your extended mission in space. Kudos to you! Your resilience and dedication are a testament to your invaluable service to humanity. We are proud of you!"

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)