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Anand Mahindra’s memory surfaced as Sunita Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, safely splashed down into the Atlantic Ocean after an extended mission filled with challenges.
Anand Mahindra said he was arranging an Uber when he crossed paths with Sunita Williams. (Photo Credits: X/@anandmahindra)
Anand Mahindra recently took a nostalgic detour, reflecting on a chance encounter with astronaut Sunita Williams. She has finally returned to Earth after what was supposed to be a short spaceflight turned into a prolonged nine-month stay. The industrialist’s memory surfaced as Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, safely splashed down into the Atlantic Ocean after an extended mission filled with challenges. As news of their safe return broke, Mahindra expressed his relief and admiration for Williams.
Sharing a heartfelt message on social media, he wrote: “When the SpaceX rescue mission was launched, I recalled this chance encounter almost two years ago with Sunita Williams in Washington. It was an enormous relief to see her and her colleagues’ successful splashdown back on earth a few hours ago. She is courage personified and it’s good to have her back amongst us. Swagatam, Sunita.”
To make the moment even more special, Mahindra reshared a photograph from July 2023 – a selfie taken during a gathering in Washington. In the picture, he stood alongside Mukesh Ambani, Vrinda Kapoor and Sunita Williams herself, a memory that now held even greater significance after her remarkable return from space.
When the SpaceX recue mission was launched, I recalled this chance encounter almost two years ago with @Astro_suni in Washington. It was an enormous relief to see her and her colleagues’ successful splashdown back on earth a few hours ago.
She is courage personified and… https://t.co/E64p9YX5t3
– Anand Mahindra (@anandmahindra) March 19, 2025
At the time, Anand Mahindra shared that he, along with Mukesh Ambani and 3rdiTech co-founder Vrinda Kapoor, got so engrossed in a conversation with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo that they lost track of time and ended up missing the shuttle meant to take them to their next lunch engagement.
Left without a ride, the two Indian business leaders were in the middle of arranging an Uber when, by pure coincidence, they crossed paths with none other than NASA astronaut Sunita Williams. She, too, was attending the India-US Hi-Tech Handshake meeting.
Williams, who just returned from space, had initially planned an eight-day journey to space with Wilmore, but things didn’t quite go as planned. Their ride, the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, ran into multiple technical snags after reaching orbit, leaving the duo stranded in zero gravity for far longer than intended. Months passed as NASA engineers worked relentlessly to resolve the issues, making sure they could bring them back home safely. After spending over 270 days aboard the International Space Station, Williams and Wilmore finally boarded the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for their long-awaited return. Clad in their spacesuits, they undocked from the Harmony module and began their journey back to Earth, hurtling through the planet’s atmosphere in a fiery descent before making a splashdown off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
