NASA astronaut of Indian origin Sunita “Suni” Williams has retired from the US space agency after a distinguished 27-year career, marking the end of one of the most accomplished journeys in human spaceflight. NASA confirmed that her retirement took effect on December 27, 2025.
A veteran of three missions to the International Space Station (ISS), Williams leaves behind a legacy defined by leadership, endurance, and historic achievements that helped shape modern space exploration.
During her career, Williams spent a total of 608 days in space, the second-highest cumulative time recorded by any NASA astronaut. She also ranks sixth among American astronauts for the longest single spaceflight, having logged 286 days during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions, a record she shares with astronaut Butch Wilmore.
“Suni Williams has been a trailblazer in human spaceflight,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, praising her leadership aboard the ISS and her contributions to advancing science and technology vital for NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and future journeys to Mars.
Williams completed nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours and six minutes — the most by any woman and the fourth-highest cumulative spacewalk time in history. She was also the first person to run a marathon in space.
Her first spaceflight came in December 2006 aboard space shuttle Discovery during mission STS-116. She later returned to Earth with the STS-117 crew aboard Atlantis and served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 14 and 15, during which she completed a then-record four spacewalks.
In 2012, Williams launched from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome for a 127-day mission as part of Expeditions 32 and 33, serving as commander of Expedition 33. During that mission, she carried out three spacewalks to repair critical station systems.
Most recently, Williams and Wilmore flew aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 for NASA’s Crew Flight Test mission. She later joined Expeditions 71 and 72 and once again commanded the space station during Expedition 72. Williams completed two spacewalks during the mission and returned to Earth in March 2025 as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, described Williams as a pioneering leader whose contributions spanned space station operations and the Starliner test flight programme.
Beyond her missions, Williams held several leadership and training roles at NASA, including deputy chief of the Astronaut Office and director of operations at Star City in Russia. She also helped develop helicopter training programmes to prepare astronauts for future lunar missions.
“Space is my absolute favourite place to be,” Williams said in a statement. “It’s been an incredible honour to serve in the Astronaut Office and fly in space three times. I’ve had an amazing 27-year career at NASA, made possible by the support and dedication of my colleagues.”
Reflecting on her legacy, she added that the International Space Station and its people have laid the foundation for humanity’s next steps toward the Moon and Mars.
A native of Needham, Massachusetts, Williams is a retired US Navy captain, an accomplished pilot with more than 4,000 flight hours, and a graduate of the US Naval Academy and the Florida Institute of Technology.
