They have been trapped in space for 107 days. The villagers of Williams’ Indian ancestral home have been hoping for her safe return. Reporting for Gujarati is Roxy Gagdekar Chhara.
Gujaratis, who live in the western Indian state of Jhulasan, are proud that Williams is related to their village.
The father and grandmother of Williams once lived in the village. Three times, in 1972, 2007 and 2013, the astronaut returned to the community following successful space missions.
On June 5, Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, departed for an eight-day mission, but, due to issues with their Boeing Starliner aircraft, they became stranded on the International Space Station (ISS).
They will now use SpaceX to return to Earth in February 2025.
Residents of Jhulasan pray for Williams’ safe return on a regular basis and light an oil lamp as a sign of their faith. In the hopes that she will return following another successful voyage, they have planned a space-themed display for her 59th birthday on Thursday.
