When Sunita Lyn Williams pressed her thumb against the hatch of the International Space Station for the final time in March 2025, she was doing more than
beginning her journey back to Earth, she was closing a remarkable chapter in space history. After 27 years with NASA and more than 600 days spent in orbit, Williams retired at the end of December 2025, leaving behind a career defined by records, firsts and few parallels in human spaceflight. Sunita Williams was born in Ohio on September 19, 1965, far from the launch pads and control rooms that would later shape her career. Her father was of Indian origin, while her mother’s Slovenian roots gave her a global identity long before she ever left Earth’s atmosphere. After graduating from the US Naval Academy, she went on to serve as a US Navy helicopter pilot and later as a test pilot, flying a wide range of aircraft and accumulating thousands of flight hours. NASA selected Williams in 1998. Her first trip into space came in 2006 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery for the STS-116 mission. Williams didn’t just travel to the station, she worked there. Serving as a flight engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15, she conducted four spacewalks totaling more than 29 hours, setting a then record for a female astronaut.
Best homecoming ever! pic.twitter.com/h1ogPh5WMR
— Sunita Williams (@Astro_Suni) April 1, 2025
In 2012, she returned to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft for Expeditions 32 and 33. During this mission, she became one of the few women ever to command the ISS, managing scientific research, routine maintenance, and critical repairs, including fixing a power distribution unit and addressing an ammonia leak during spacewalks.
Sunita Williams' Final Mission
In June 2024, Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s first crewed Starliner spacecraft. The mission was originally planned as a short test flight, just a few days in orbit to evaluate systems before returning to Earth. However, when the spacecraft encountered propulsion problems and leaks, NASA deemed it safer to fly Starliner uncrewed. Instead of returning home, Williams and Wilmore seamlessly transitioned into full station duties as part of Expeditions 71 and 72, adapting to a complete crew role rather than the brief demo flight.
What was supposed to be an eight-day mission stretched into 286 days in space, an unplanned journey that tested patience, skill, adaptability, and mental resilience. During this extended stay, Williams and her crew carried out critical scientific experiments, maintenance work, and spacewalks. This mission brought Williams’ cumulative time in orbit to 608 days and her total spacewalks to nine, amounting to over 62 hours—more EVA (extravehicular activity) time than any woman in NASA history and fourth overall on NASA’s all-time list.
What was supposed to be an eight-day mission stretched into 286 days in space, an unplanned journey that tested patience, skill, adaptability, and mental resilience. During this extended stay, Williams and her crew carried out critical scientific experiments, maintenance work and spacewalks. This mission brought Williams’ cumulative time in orbit to 608 days and her total spacewalks to nine, amounting to over 62 hours, more EVA (extravehicular activity) time than any woman in NASA history and fourth overall on NASA’s all-time list.
Returning to Earth was a triumph of both engineering and human endurance. When the SpaceX Crew-9 capsule splashed down off Florida in March 2025, it brought to a close a mission that had pushed the limits of long-duration spaceflight.
What makes Williams truly inspirational isn’t just the numbers. It’s how she racked them up: with humility, adaptability and an unshakable work ethic. She didn’t just fulfill mission objectives, she raised the bar for what astronauts can do. From commanding an orbiting laboratory to helping pioneer commercial crew programs that will carry humanity to the Moon and Mars, her fingerprints are on milestones that will outlast her career.
