Sunita Williams announced her retirement

After nearly three decades of distinguished service, veteran astronaut Sunita Williams has officially retired from NASA, with her retirement taking effect on December 27, 2025.

Widely admired for her leadership and resilience, Williams leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in human spaceflight. Over the course of her career, she spent a remarkable 608 days in space across three missions aboard the International Space Station, ranking second among NASA astronauts for total time spent in orbit.

She also completed nine spacewalks totaling more than 62 hours, setting a record for the most spacewalking time by a woman in NASA history. Her final mission captured global attention when what was intended to be a brief test flight aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was unexpectedly extended. The mission evolved into a historic nine-month stay aboard the ISS, before Williams safely returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

With her retirement, NASA closes an important chapter, while Sunita Williams’ achievements continue to inspire future generations of explorers.