By ED HOLT
Published: 08:23 EDT, 2 April 2025 | Updated: 08:24 EDT, 2 April 2025
A NASA astronaut who spent 288 days stranded in space has finally been reunited with her pet dogs.
Sunita Williams and her crewmate, Butch Wilmore, returned to Earth on March 18 after spending over nine months stuck on the International Space Station.
Following a medical assessment Mrs Williams was finally allowed to return to her home in Needham, Massachusetts, this week where she shared her heartwarming reunion with her two pet dogs on social media.
In the video, shared on X formerly Twitter, the astronaut can be seen with her dogs on the front lawn of her house.
The excitable labradors can be seen wagging their tails and jumping up and down before Mrs Williams' chocolate labrador has a rather unusual response to the return of his owner.
Mrs Williams keeps saying 'hello and whose here' to her pet pooches which her younger yellow labrador responds to gleefully by running back and forth to her.
However, the older labrador soon loses interest in Mrs Williams and instead seems more interested in a big stick he has acquired.
The canine then starts to strut along the front lawn as Mrs Williams accuses him of 'showing off'.
Mrs Williams was finally allowed to return to her home in Needham, Massachusetts , this week where she shared on social media her heartwarming reunion with her two pet dogs
Mrs Williams' younger yellow labrador keeps running back and forth to her however, the older labrador soon loses interest in Mrs Williams
Despite her attempts to get the dogs attention, he remains disinterested in the owner he hasn't seen in over 200 days.
Mrs Williams eventually acknowledges that her beloved pooch is giving her 'the cold shoulder'.
She is not deprived of affection though as Mrs Williams' yellow labrador continues to lick her face and wag his tail.
When Mrs Williams travelled up to the ISS in June last year she was expecting to be back home with her dogs in a little over a week later.
However, technical issues with the Boeing Starliner - which sent Mrs Williams and Mr Wilmore into space, meant they were stranded in space for 288 days.
The pair were finally brought back to earth last month on a SpaceX shuttle.
Their gaunt appearances when they emerge from the capsule following their prolonged stay in space sparked concern from health expert.
However, in a recent interview with American broadcaster they both looked much better.
Despite Ms Williams' attempts to get her chocolate labrador's attention, he remains disinterested in the owner he hasn't seen in over 200 days
When Mrs Williams returned to Earth this week, after being stranded in space for 288 days, the changes to her appearance were startling
Butch Wilmore (right) and Suni Williams in June 2024. Their trip to space was supposed to take eight days but instead lasted 288 days
Mrs Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998.
She had already been a member of two space expeditions in 2006 and 2012 - spending 322 days on the ISS before the Crew-9 mission.
Before heading into space, the 59-year-old graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1987 and retired from the service at the rank of captain.
While in the Navy, Mrs Williams was a test pilot and helped certify new systems for aircraft. She logged more than 3,000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft.
During her distinguished career, she received several honors, including the Legion of Merit, the Navy Commendation Medal twice, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
In 2007, ran Ms Williams ran the first marathon in space.
In total she has taken nine spacewalks at a total of 62 hours all together and she is ranked among the most experienced space walkers.
NASA picked her for the Commercial Crew Program in 2015, and by 2018, she was assigned to Starliner's first operational mission.
According to her NASA biography, Mrs Williams was born Euclid, Ohio and now makes her home in Needham, Massachusetts,with her husband Michael.