NASA astronaut who spent 9 months in space finally meets her dogs — we are not crying, you are
After nine months in space, astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth to a heartwarming reunion with her dogs. The love between Williams and her furry companions was captured in a video clip filled with wagging tails. Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore were meant to be on an eight-day mission, but they were stuck in space for more than 286 days because of technical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, as per NASA. The video shared by Williams on her social media account captures her being welcomed by her happy dogs, one fetching her a stick and the other jumping around in excitement.
She shared the video on her X (formerly Twitter) account and wrote, "Best homecoming ever!" Williams repeatedly calls out, "Hello, who's here?" as her energetic younger lab joyfully runs back and forth to greet her. However, her older Labrador soon loses interest, strutting across the front lawn, prompting Williams to teasingly accuse him of showing off, as reported by the Daily Mail. Despite her efforts, she couldn't get the dog’s attention, and eventually, she admits that her fur buddy is giving her the cold shoulder. Nevertheless, the younger Labrador keeps licking her face and wagging its tail.
Viewers rushed to the comment section to share their admiration for this beautiful bond. One X user, @ArvindRaghava5, commented, “A heartwarming sight! After conquering the vastness of space, Sunita Williams returns to the simple joys of Earth—playing with her beloved dogs. A true testament that no matter how far we travel, home remains the greatest destination. Her journey inspires the world, proving that both the cosmos and companionship hold infinite wonders.” Another person, @george_poikayil, wrote, “I read somewhere that dogs bring in sticks and other objects as some kind of 'gift' so far from giving the cold shoulder, he got something valuable to play.”
A third X user, @InForTheFun_, shared a similar experience, stating, “OMG, you got me crying! When I had to endure a head surgery in another country, seeing my dog after the time spent alone there was the most emotional moment for me. Welcome home, Sunita!” Another one, @lastwordlinda, rightly said, “They are beside themselves. Of all the wonderful things about being back, I bet they are rated very close to the top of the list. This made me read the news. It's usually depressing. Your story is definitely not! Please write a book.” Several others shared how proud they were of Williams.
Meanwhile, when the astronauts were stranded in space, President Donald Trump accused the Joe Biden administration of "abandoning" them. However, Williams recently dismissed that notion in an interview, expressing that she never felt abandoned, but instead felt privileged to be part of the team, as reported by CBS News. On March 18, Wilmore and Williams touched down on Earth, alongside two fellow astronauts completing their time aboard the space station. Like all returning crew members, they began physical therapy at the Johnson Space Center to ease their transition back to gravity. Both looked healthy and were clearly in high spirits.