Williams smiled and waved as she left the re-entry capsule. She and the other returning astronauts were strapped into gurneys and taken for medical exams on the recovery ship before they could return to their families.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' sister-in-law Falguni Pandya said she was shown a photo of the Maha Kumbh from the International Space Station.

Astronaut Sunita Williams has arrived at the Johnson Space Center hours after splashdown. She and three other astronauts are beginning a lengthy rehabilitation process after spending nine months in space. Williams was seen with IV drip channels on her wrists as NASA scientists began treatment to help her readjust to Earth's gravity.