New Delhi, January 21, 2026 : NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has officially retired from the US space agency, bringing to a close an illustrious 27-year career marked by three missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and multiple historic achievements in human spaceflight.
Williams, 60, who is currently visiting India, interacted with students and space enthusiasts during an event titled “Eyes on the Stars, Feet on the Ground” at the American Center here on Tuesday. Event posters described her as NASA Astronaut (Retd.) and US Navy Captain (Retd.).
During the interaction, Williams recalled one of the most challenging phases of her career when an initially planned eight-day mission to the ISS turned into a nine-month-long stay in space due to technical problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
In a statement issued on January 20, NASA confirmed that Williams retired from the agency with effect from December 27, 2025. Over her career, she completed three long-duration missions aboard the ISS and set numerous records.
Born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, Sunita “Suni” Williams is the daughter of a Gujarati father, Deepak Pandya from Jhulasan in Mehsana district, and a Slovenian mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman hailed Williams as a trailblazer who helped shape the future of human spaceflight. He said her work laid critical foundations for the Artemis missions to the Moon and future human exploration of Mars.
Williams logged a total of 608 days in space, ranking second among NASA astronauts for cumulative time spent in orbit. She also completed nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours and six minutes — the highest by a woman and fourth-highest overall. She was also the first person to run a marathon in space.
An accomplished aviator and retired US Navy captain, Williams has logged more than 4,000 flight hours across 40 aircraft. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the US Naval Academy and a master’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Her spaceflight career began in December 2006 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-116). She later commanded the ISS during Expedition 33 and most recently led Expedition 72 after launching aboard Boeing’s Starliner in June 2024. She returned to Earth in March 2025 as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
Reflecting on her journey, Williams said space remains her favourite place and expressed gratitude to her colleagues for their support throughout her career. NASA officials and fellow astronauts described her as an exceptional leader and an inspiration to generations.
With her retirement, Sunita Williams leaves behind a legacy of courage, endurance and scientific contribution that will continue to inspire future explorers.
