Sunita Williams retires from NASA after 27 years of legacy
NASA said in a statement issued on January 20 that Williams retired from the agency effective December 27, 2025
NASA said in a statement issued on January 20 that Williams retired from the agency effective December 27, 2025
NASA said in a statement issued on January 20 that Williams retired from the agency effective December 27, 2025
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has retired from the US space agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), bringing to a close a distinguished 27-year career marked by three missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and multiple milestones in human spaceflight.
Williams, 60, is presently in India and on Tuesday took part in an interactive programme at the American Center, reported PTI. Event posters titled “Eyes on the Stars, Feet on the Ground” identified her as “NASA Astronaut, Ret. and US Navy Captain, Ret.”
During the interaction, she recounted her experiences of being stranded in space after what was originally planned as an eight-day mission to the ISS turned into an extended ordeal. Technical issues with the Boeing spacecraft prolonged her stay in orbit to more than nine months.
Confirming her retirement, NASA said in a statement issued on January 20 that Williams retired from the agency effective December 27, 2025. “After 27 years of service, NASA astronaut Suni Williams retired from the agency… completing three missions aboard the International Space Station and setting numerous human spaceflight records throughout her career,” the statement said.
Born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, Sunita called as ‘Suni’ Williams is the daughter of a Gujarati father, Deepak Pandya from Jhulasan in Gujarat’s Mehsana district, and a Slovenian mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya.
Praising her contributions, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described Williams as a pioneer in human spaceflight whose leadership aboard the space station helped shape the future of exploration and advance commercial missions to low Earth orbit. He said her work laid the groundwork for the Artemis missions to the Moon and future journeys to Mars, adding that her achievements would continue to inspire generations.
Over her career, Williams logged a total of 608 days in space, the second-highest cumulative time for a NASA astronaut. She is tied for sixth on the list of longest single spaceflights by an American, having spent 286 days in orbit during the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions.
She also completed nine spacewalks, accumulating 62 hours and six minutes outside the station — the highest by any woman and the fourth-most overall. She was also the first person to run a marathon in space, NASA noted.
A native of Needham, Massachusetts, Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in physical science from the US Naval Academy and a master’s degree in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology. A retired US Navy captain, she is a highly experienced helicopter and fixed-wing pilot with over 4,000 flight hours across 40 aircraft.
Reflecting on her career, Williams said space had always been her favourite place to be and called it an honour to have flown three times during her nearly three decades at NASA. She credited her colleagues' support for making her journey exceptional.
She described the ISS, its people, engineering and scientific work as truly inspiring and said they had made future exploration to the Moon and Mars possible. Williams added that she was excited to watch NASA and its partners continue to make history.
Williams first flew to space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in December 2006 as part of the STS-116 mission and returned on STS-117. She served as a flight engineer during Expeditions 14 and 15 and completed a then-record four spacewalks.
In 2012, she launched from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome for a 127-day mission as part of Expeditions 32 and 33, later serving as commander of Expedition 33. During the mission, she carried out three spacewalks to repair a radiator leak and replace a key power system component.
Her most recent mission began in June 2024, when she and astronaut Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner for NASA’s Crew Flight Test. The duo later joined Expeditions 71 and 72, with Williams again assuming command of the ISS for Expedition 72. She completed two spacewalks during the mission and returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9.
Scott Tingle, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA Johnson, described Williams as an exceptional colleague who inspired countless people, including fellow astronauts, and said she would be greatly missed.
In addition to her spaceflights, Williams held several key roles throughout her career at NASA.