Sunita Williams, Woman With Most Spacewalking Time, Retires

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has retired after a distinguished 27-year career with the US space agency, with her retirement taking effect at the end of December 2025, NASA announced on Wednesday (Tuesday in the US).

Now 60, Williams flew three missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and set multiple milestones in human spaceflight. Announcing her retirement, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman hailed her as “a trailblazer in human spaceflight,” noting that her leadership aboard the space station played a key role in shaping the future of exploration and commercial operations in low Earth orbit.

“Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to NASA and our nation,” Isaacman said.

Over the course of her career, Williams spent a total of 608 days in space, the second-highest cumulative time logged by a NASA astronaut. She also ranks sixth among Americans for the longest single spaceflight, having spent 286 consecutive days in orbit, tied with astronaut Butch Wilmore.

Williams completed nine spacewalks, totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes, making her the woman with the most spacewalking time, according to NASA. She was also the first person to run a marathon in space.

Williams made her first spaceflight in 2006 aboard space shuttle Discovery and later flew on Atlantis. She served as a flight engineer on ISS Expeditions 14 and 15, during which she completed a then-record four spacewalks. In 2012, she returned to the ISS as part of Expeditions 32 and 33, serving as space station commander and carrying out several critical repair spacewalks.

Her most recent mission began in June 2024, when she and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on its first crewed test flight. Originally planned as a short-duration mission, it was extended to more than nine months due to technical issues with the spacecraft. The two astronauts eventually returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.

The India Connect

Of Indian origin, Williams has often spoken about her strong connection to India, describing a visit to the country as a “homecoming.” During a recent visit to Delhi, she said viewing Earth from space diminished perceived differences between people, remarking, “It really makes you feel like we are just one.”

Reflecting on her career, Williams described space as her “absolute favourite place to be” and credited her colleagues for her achievements. She said the work conducted aboard the ISS and the scientific foundation laid over the years would support future missions to the Moon and Mars.

“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,” she said.