NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has retired after a landmark 27-year career with the US space agency. Her retirement took effect at the end of December
2025, NASA announced on Wednesday (India time). Williams is 60. Over nearly three decades, Williams completed three missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS). She set multiple records that place her among the most accomplished astronauts in NASA's history. Announcing her retirement, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman called Williams "a trailblazer in human spaceflight". He said her leadership aboard the ISS helped shape the future of exploration and commercial missions in low Earth orbit. "Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to NASA and our nation," he added.
608 Days In Space, 9 Spacewalks
Williams spent a total of 608 days in space. That is the second-highest cumulative time logged by a NASA astronaut. She also ranks sixth among Americans for the longest single spaceflight. She is tied with astronaut Butch Wilmore, with both spending 286 days in orbit.
Her record in spacewalks stands out. Williams completed nine spacewalks, clocking 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the station. According to Nasa, this makes her the woman with the most spacewalking time. She also made history as the first person to run a marathon in space.
Sunita Williams' First Space Flight
Williams first flew to space in 2006 aboard the space shuttle Discovery. She later returned on Atlantis. During Expeditions 14 and 15, she served as a flight engineer and completed a then-record four spacewalks. In 2012, she returned to the ISS for Expeditions 32 and 33. During that mission, she also served as space station commander and led critical repair spacewalks.
Her final mission began in June 2024. Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing's Starliner on its first crewed test flight. The mission was meant to be brief, however, technical issues stretched it to more than nine months. The two astronauts returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard SpaceX's Crew-9 mission.
Williams, who is of Indian origin, has often spoken about her connection to India. She has described her visit to the country as a "homecoming". During a recent visit to Delhi, she said seeing Earth from space made differences between people seem smaller. "It really makes you feel like we are just one."
Looking back, Williams said space was her "absolute favourite place to be".
She credited her colleagues for her journey. "I had an amazing 27-year career at NASA," she said.
She added that the ISS helped prepare the path for future Moon and Mars missions. "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."
