Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' cousin today said she was "happy" that she has returned to Earth safely after an unexpected nine-month stay in space.

"That moment was surreal," her cousin, Falguni Pandya, told NDTV, referring to the SpaceX Dragon spaceship, which was carrying Ms Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore, making a soft splashdown off Florida's coast this morning.

Ms Williams, 59, and Mr Wilmore, 62, undocked from the ISS at 10:35 am IST yesterday to begin a 17-hour trip back to Earth.