After 608 Days In Space & 3 Space Missions, Sunita Williams Retires After 27 Years!

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has officially retired after spending 608 days in space across three International Space Station missions. Her final 10-day mission, which unexpectedly stretched into nine-and-a-half months, became the talk of the town. Over the course of her career, she set multiple records in human spaceflight, and at 60, she has finally hung up her space shoes.

Sunita Williams Announces Retirement

On Tuesday, NASA announced the retirement of astronaut Sunita Williams, effective December 27, 2025, just after last Christmas. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, “Suni Williams has been a trailblazer in human spaceflight, shaping the future of exploration through her leadership aboard the space station and paving the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit.”

Thanking her for her service and praising her contributions, he added, “Her work advancing science and technology has laid the foundation for Artemis missions to the Moon and advancing toward Mars, and her extraordinary achievements will continue to inspire generations to dream big and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to NASA and our nation.”

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27 Years Of Illustrious Years

Sunita Williams, who is of Indian origin, was selected by NASA in 1998. According to NDTV, she logged 608 days in space across three missions, making her the second-highest NASA astronaut in terms of cumulative time spent in space. Additionally, she ranks sixth for the longest single spaceflight by an American, tied with fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore.

Among her many remarkable achievements, she completed nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes, the most by any female astronaut and the fourth-highest on NASA’s all-time list. As if that weren’t impressive enough, she also made history as the first person to run a marathon in space.

She called space her “absolute favourite place to be.” Commenting on her retirement, she said, “It’s been an incredible honour to have served in the Astronaut Office and have had the opportunity to fly in space three times. I had an amazing 27-year career at NASA, and that is mainly because of all the wonderful love and support I’ve received from my colleagues.”

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From record-breaking missions to historic firsts, Sunita Williams’s career is nothing short of inspiring. She has truly left an indelible mark on space exploration and we wish her all the best for her future endeavours!

Cover Image Courtesy: X/@Dhruvarya10