A lot of people are happy to see Massachusetts astronaut Suni Williams back on Earth after nine-and-a-half months of being stuck in space. And there are two animals that are thrilled to have her home as well.
Williams, a Needham native, shared video this week of the reunion she had with her two dogs, Rotor and Gunner.
“Best homecoming ever!” Williams posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
The excited pups can be seen jumping all over her.
“Are you showing off?” Williams asks them in the video. “My little bad boys.”
At a press conference on Monday, Williams said she was looking forward to getting home to New England.
“I wanted to hug my husband and hug my dogs, and I’ll say in that order … but maybe not,” Williams joked.
Williams wasn’t entirely without her furry friends in space. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod made 3D printed models of her dogs, and they were sent on a supply shipment to the International Space Station just in time for Christmas.
Who is Suni Williams?
Williams is a Needham High School graduate who was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and made her first space flight to the space station in 2006.
She and astronaut “Butch” Wilmore launched to space last June on the first piloted test of the Boeing Starliner. They were only supposed to be in space for up to 10 days, but helium leaks and thruster problems caused NASA to keep them at the space station and bring the Starliner back uncrewed.
After 286 days, a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule brought them back to Earth on March 18. Williams said she would be willing to go to space in the Starliner craft again when the issues are fixed.
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