NASA astronaut Sunita Williams retires after 27 years
Sunita Williams, one of NASA's most accomplished astronauts, has wrapped up her 27-year career.
She spent a total of 608 days in space—second only to one other NASA astronaut—and completed nine spacewalks and has the most cumulative spacewalking time for a woman (62 hours, 6 minutes).
Space records and memorable moments
Williams made history as the first person to run a marathon in space and broke the female record for most spacewalk hours.
Her missions included flying on Space Shuttle Discovery and helping out with ISS Expeditions 14 and 15.
What's next for Williams?
After her final mission—a Boeing Starliner test flight that ran longer than planned—Williams retired in December 2025.
On a recent trip to India, she said she's happy to hand off future moon missions to the next generation and is rooting for more US-India teamwork in space.
Leading beyond the launchpad
Besides flying, Williams took on big leadership roles at NASA, like deputy chief of the Astronaut Office.
She even helped set up helicopter training for astronauts heading to future Artemis Moon landings, making sure they're ready for whatever comes next.