Washington, March 31 -- Days after returning to Earth following their nine-month-long stay on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams shared their reactions to the unexpected extension of their mission, Fox News reported.

They also thanked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump for their involvement in ensuring their safe return.

Wilmore and Williams spent over 280 days in space after their eight-day mission, which began in June last year, was prolonged due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

In an interview with Fox News, Williams said, "My first thought was we've just got to pivot," recalling the moment when the two astronauts were told that their re...