National

NASA Astronauts Come Back to Earth After Spending 9 Months in Space

Published

1 year ago

March 19, 2025

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth following a successful splashdown of their Crew 9 Dragon spacecraft off the Florida coast. The duo spent over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to unforeseen delays, with their spacecraft landing near Tallahassee at 5:57 PM ET on Tuesday (3:27 AM IST on Wednesday).

They were joined by astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Grebyonkin, who made their way to the ISS in December as part of a rescue mission organized by NASA and SpaceX. “On behalf of SpaceX, welcome home,” communicated the SpaceX Mission Control in California.

An hour after their lengthy 17-hour journey, Williams and Wilmore emerged from their heated capsule, smiling and waving at cameras while being transported on reclining stretchers for standard medical evaluations.

Originally, Williams and Wilmore were supposed to spend just eight days at the ISS after launching in June last year. However, they extended their stay when issues arose with the Boeing Starliner capsule’s propulsion system. This duo served as the first crew to fly on Boeing’s Starliner during its test flight, with the problematic capsule returning to Earth last September.

According to NASA, the two astronauts spent a total of 286 days in space—more than 278 days beyond their initial schedule—completing over 4,500 orbits and traveling more than 121 million statute miles. The agency has stated that the crew will participate in a 45-day post-mission rehabilitation program to assist their recovery from the physical impacts of space travel. During this period, the health of the astronauts will be monitored closely to ensure there are no issues with vision, muscle loss, balance, or bone density.

With this mission marking her third spaceflight, Williams has now accumulated a total of 608 days in space, the second most for any U.S. astronaut, trailing behind Peggy Whitson’s 675 days. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko currently holds the world record with 878 cumulative days.

Despite the extended duration in space, NASA decided not to hasten the mission’s conclusion but rather reassigned Williams and Wilmore to SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, which arrived at the ISS last September. Crew-9’s original complement of four was reduced to two to accommodate their return.

On Sunday morning, Crew-9 heartfeltly bid farewell to their ISS colleagues as Crew-10 arrived as their replacements.

Additionally, political undertones surrounded the successful rescue, with The White House asserting that President Trump’s efforts facilitated the mission. “PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to @ElonMusk, @SpaceX, and @NASA!” it posted on X.

National

Jammu University Introduces Fuel-Saving Measures

Published

2 days ago

May 14, 2026

Namma Kudla

National : The University of Jammu has announced several fuel-saving measures following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel conservation. Vice-Chancellor Prof Umesh Rai said the university has decided to conduct all PhD viva voce examinations online to reduce travel and save fuel.

The university will also prefer virtual speakers for national and international conferences. In another step, the Academic Council meeting planned in Poonch has been shifted to the Jammu University campus to avoid unnecessary travel.

Prof Rai said the measures will help save fuel, time and resources. He also encouraged university staff to use bicycles and carpool while travelling to the campus.

National

One Year On: Pahalgam Attack Still Haunts the Nation

Published

4 weeks ago

April 21, 2026

Namma Kudla

National: One year after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, the nation remembers the 26 people who lost their lives. The attack took place on April 22 at Baisaran, a popular tourist spot.

At first, reports said only five people were injured. Later, it became clear that it was one of the worst terror attacks in the region in decades. Terrorists came out of the forest and opened fire on tourists.

Survivors said the attackers separated men from women and children. They then shot the men at close range. Many victims were reportedly targeted after being asked about their religion.

A heartbreaking image of Himanshi Narwal sitting beside her husband’s body became a symbol of the tragedy. Her husband, a naval officer, was among those killed.

The group The Resistance front, linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility. The case was investigated by the National Investigation Agency.

After months of tracking, security forces launched Operation Mahadev. On July 28, 2025, all three terrorists were killed after a long search operation.

The attack remains a painful memory and a reminder of the need for strong security.

National

Social Media Influencer-Turned Gangster Held Abroad

Published

1 month ago

April 9, 2026

Namma Kudla

New Delhi: Rao Inderjeet Yadav has been arrested in Dubai. He is wanted in a murder case from Haryana.

He fled India in 2024 after a businessman was killed in Rohtak. Police had been searching for him since then. Officials said Dubai authorities have asked for documents. He is likely to be brought back to India soon.

Yadav faces more than 15 criminal cases. These include extortion, fraud, and illegal land deals. The Enforcement Directorate also investigated him for money laundering. Raids led to the seizure of cash, cars, and documents.

He also ran a music company called Gems Tunes. It produced regional songs.

Yadav had a large social media following. He often showed his rich lifestyle online. He has denied all charges. He claims he is being framed.

Police are now preparing for further action.