Bhubaneswar, Mar 19 (PTI) Odisha Governor, Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition on Wednesday extended their greetings over the safe return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth after a nine-month stay at the International Space Station.

Taking to X, Odisha Governor's office said, "Hon'ble Governor, Shri @DrHariBabuK has congratulated Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore, the #Crew9 astronauts of @NASA , on their safe return to Earth after an extended mission at the @Space_Station . Their dedication will inspire the next generation."

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Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also congratulated the duo on their safe return.

"Congratulations to NASA's #Crew9 astronauts Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore on their safe return to Earth after an extended mission at the @Space_Station. Their dedication & resilience inspire us all. Welcome home! @NASA @SpaceX #CrewDragon #SpaceExploration," Majhi said.

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Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik said he was greatly relieved to know about return of Sunita and Butch.

"Greatly relieved to know that NASA's #Crew9 has safely returned to earth with India's daughter #SunitaWilliams and fellow astronaut #ButchWilmore after spending more than nine months on the International Space Station. Your fortitude and remarkable grit in the face of uncertainty in outer space is a victory for human sprit. Your historic sojourn will continue to inspire millions," Patnaik said.

Wilmore and Williams ended up spending 286 days in space — 278 days longer than anticipated when they launched. They circled Earth 4,576 times and travelled 121 million miles (195 million kilometers) by the time of splashdown.

(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)