Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, whose scheduled eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) ultimately extended to more than nine months, has retired after a distinguished
27-year career. NASA announced on Tuesday that her retirement took effect on December 27, 2025, shortly after Christmas.
Praising her legacy, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described Williams as a pioneer of human spaceflight whose leadership on the space station helped shape the future of exploration. He said her contributions to science and technology have strengthened the foundation for Artemis missions to the Moon and future journeys to Mars, adding that her achievements will continue to inspire generations.
“Suni Williams has been a trailblazer in human spaceflight, shaping the future of exploration through her leadership aboard the space station and paving the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit,” the NASA Administrator said.
“Her work advancing science and technology has laid the foundation for Artemis missions to the Moon and advancing toward Mars, and her extraordinary achievements will continue to inspire generations to dream big and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to NASA and our nation,” Isaacman added, according to a press release shared by NASA.
3 Space Missions In 27 Years
Selected by NASA in 1998, Williams spent a total of 608 days in space across three missions, the second-highest cumulative total for any NASA astronaut. She is also tied for sixth place among Americans for the longest single spaceflight, having logged 286 days alongside astronaut Butch Wilmore. Williams completed nine spacewalks lasting a combined 62 hours and 6 minutes—the most by any female astronaut and the fourth-highest overall in NASA history. She was also the first person to run a marathon in space.
Williams first flew in December 2006 aboard space shuttle Discovery as part of Expedition 14/15. Her second mission began in July 2012, when she launched from Kazakhstan for Expedition 32/33 and later served as space station commander. Her final mission came in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner, after which she joined Expeditions 71/72 and again commanded the ISS before returning to Earth in March 2025.
Sunita Williams’s Indian Roots
Williams’ father was born in Gujarat’s Mehsana District and he later moved to the US and married Bonnie Pandya, a Slovenian. Reflecting on her career, she called space her “absolute favourite place to be” and said she was proud to have contributed to humanity’s next steps toward the Moon and Mars.
“Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favorite place to be,” said Williams. “It’s been an incredible honor to have served in the Astronaut Office and have had the opportunity to fly in space three times. I had an amazing 27-year career at NASA, and that is mainly because of all the wonderful love and support I’ve received from my colleagues. The International Space Station, the people, the engineering, and the science are truly awe-inspiring and have made the next steps of exploration to the Moon and Mars possible. I hope the foundation we set has made these bold steps a little easier. I am super excited for NASA and its partner agencies as we take these next steps, and I can’t wait to watch the agency make history.”
