NASA astronaut Sunita Williams’ return to earth at the conclusion of the scientific mission to the space station was more than a homecoming. It was a historic triumph of perseverance, proving that determination and courage transform adversity into achievement, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi said on Wednesday.

At 1:05 a.m. ET on March 18, the astronauts undocked from the ISS, beginning a 17-hour journey back to Earth. The spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere and used parachutes to slow its descent to a soft splashdown off Florida’s Gulf Coast at 5:57 p.m. ET. Upon returning to Earth, the astronauts were safely retrieved by SpaceX recovery teams.