Astronaut Suni Williams' Indian ancestral village celebrates her return from space

Record ID: 1984621

  • Title: Astronaut Suni Williams' Indian ancestral village celebrates her return from space
  • Date: 19th March 2025
  • Summary: MAHESANA, GUJARAT, INDIA (MARCH 19, 2025) (ANI - No use India) (NIGHT SHOTS) LOCAL RESIDENTS WATCHING NASA ASTRONAUT SUNITA "SUNI" WILLIAMS RETURN ON TELEVISION VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS CLAPPING AND CHANTING SLOGANS VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS DANCING (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) LOCAL RESIDENT, JITENDRA GOSWAMI, SAYING: "We are so happy. We did not sleep last night because we were continuous
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Butch Earth ISS India International Space Station NASA Return Space SpaceX Suni Sunita Williams
  • Location: MAHESANA, GUJARAT, INDIA
  • City: MAHESANA, GUJARAT, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001993319032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Local residents from NASA astronaut Sunita 'Suni' Williams’ ancestral village in India celebrated her safe return to earth, in the early hours of Wednesday (March 19) morning with dancing and firecrackers.
    Williams returned to Earth in a SpaceX capsule with a soft splashdown off Florida's coast on Tuesday (March 18) around 5:57 p.m. local time (2157 GMT), nine months after their faulty Boeing Starliner craft upended what was to be a week-long stay on the International Space Station.
    Residents of Jhulasan village, located in the Mahesana district of India’s western Gujarat state huddled next to a television as they watched the live broadcast of her return to earth, before celebrating.
    Some of the residents said a feast was being prepared later in the day to continue the festivities.
    “We are going to celebrate her return to earth like Diwali (the Indian festival of lights)”, said local resident, Sumit Patel.
    (Production: Gabriel Goh)
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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