Washington: In a recent India-USA space collaboration event held in Washington, DC, US astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, and Butch Wilmore came together to discuss their experiences from the landmark Expedition 72 mission.

They were joined virtually by Indian Air Force Group Captain and astronaut Shubanshu Shukla, marking a significant moment of international cooperation in space exploration.

Speaking about the challenges faced during Expedition 72, which marked the 72nd long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Sunita Williams shared her insights on the mental and physical demands of spaceflight. Reflecting on the mission, she said:

"It is a super difficult challenge to take, but we have been super fortunate in our time to see different things... We have only taken different experiences that you have and added them into the spacecraft you are training for..."

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Williams, who served as the Commander of Expedition 72, also noted that the mission ended up lasting longer than initially planned, testing the crew’s resilience and reliance on teamwork.

"We only thought we were about to be up there for just a little time, but the biggest thing we have learnt from our expedition is the team support, and it has been our honour to even have learnt a lot of things... There was a lot of communication, which really helps the team, but one of the most important things we have learnt is that one needs to listen to each other and that teamwork is equally important," she added.

Expedition 72 began with the departure of the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft in September 2024. Over the course of their mission, the international crew conducted more than 1,000 hours of research, spanning human health, biology, materials science, fire safety, and advanced technology development. Notably, their work contributed to enhancing metal 3D printing capabilities in orbit and preparing the first wooden satellite for deployment.

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Alongside Williams, the crew included NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore, as well as Russian cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Aleksey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner.

After nearly nine months in space, the Crew-9 astronauts—Williams, Hague, Wilmore, and Gorbunov—returned to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. They splashed down safely on 18 March at 5:57 p.m. EDT, finally breathing fresh air after over 270 days in orbit.

Following their return, both Williams and Wilmore began standard physical therapy sessions at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to help their bodies readjust to Earth’s gravity—a vital part of post-mission recovery.