Sunita Williams Retires from NASA after Serving 27 Years and 608 Days in Space

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams who is now 60 years old, has announced her retirement from the space agency.

Sunita Williams, one of the most successful astronauts in human spaceflight history, has retired from the US space agency NASA after an incredible 27-year career, NASA announced on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. Her retirement marks the end of a journey characterized by perseverance, leadership, and scientific achievement. Her retirement is followed by a remarkable and unexpected nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

She is tied with NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore for sixth place on the list of the longest single spaceflight by an American, having completed 286 days on NASA's Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions.

Williams launched on Space Shuttle Discovery as part of the STS-116 mission on December 9, 2006, and returned on Space Shuttle Atlantis with the crew of STS-117. This marked the beginning of her spaceflight career. She worked as a flight engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15, where she accomplished a then-record four spacewalks while showcasing extraordinary technical proficiency and strength.

As a member of Expeditions 32 and 33, Williams embarked on a 127-day mission in 2012 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. She went on to become one of the few female ISS commanders when she was appointed commander of Expedition 33. She made three spacewalks on this trip to replace a crucial power distribution component and fix a station radiator that was leaking.

As part of NASA's Crew Flight Test mission, she and colleague astronaut Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in June 2024, marking the start of her third and longest mission. The expedition was supposed to last only a few months, but it ended up lasting nine months. Before making a safe return to Earth in March 2025, the two joined Expeditions 71 and 72.

Williams confessed that anyone who knows her would know that space is her absolute favorite place to be. Williams has undertaken nine spacewalks, a total of 62 hours and 6 minutes, and the most by any female astronaut and fourth on NASA's all-time record. She was also the first person to complete a marathon in space.