On January 21, 2026, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Lyn Williams retired from service effective December 27, 2025, marking the end of a 27-year illustrious career in human space exploration.
- In 2008, she was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in the field of Science and Engineering.
Exam Hints:
- What? NASA Astronaut Sunita Lyn Williams Retired
- Service: 27 years
- Space Missions: Expedition 14/15, Expedition 32/33, Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (Expedition 71/72)
- Total Time in Space: 608 days
- Spacewalks: 9 (62 hours 6 minutes)
- Key Records:
- Second highest cumulative time in space among NASA astronauts
- 6th longest single spaceflight by an American (286 days)
- Most spacewalk time by a woman
- Awards: Padma Bhushan (2008).
About Sunita Williams:
Profile: She was born on September 19, 1965, in Ohio, the United States of America (USA). She is a former Navy officer of the USA, who became one of NASA’s most experienced and accomplished space explorers.
Navy Career: In 1987, she was commissioned in the Navy of the USA, became a Naval Aviator in 1989, and flew helicopters on deployments to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf, including Hurricane Andrew relief.
- She trained and served as a test pilot and instructor, flew over 30 different aircraft, and logged over 3,000 flight hours.
Space Career: In 1998, She was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate. She trained in spacecraft systems, robotics, T-38 jet flight, survival training, and Russian space operations, preparing for long-duration missions to the International Space Station (ISS). She trained in Russia on the ISS program and worked on the station’s robotic arms.
- She also participated in NASA Extreme Environment Operations 2 (NEEMO 2), living underwater for 9 days as part of an astronaut training mission.
- After her first spaceflight, she served as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office.
Expeditions:
She completed three space missions during her 27-year career: Expedition 14/15, Expedition 32/33 aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test mission.
Expedition 14/15: In December 2006, she was launched to the ISS aboard Space Shuttle Mission (STS-116) and served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 14 and 15, during which she spent about six months till June 2007 in space and conducted spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes.
Expedition 32/33: In 2012, she launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan), with Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. She spent 127 days aboard the ISS, conducting research and performing three spacewalks to repair the station’s solar power system and fix a radiator ammonia leak.
- She served as a flight engineer for Expedition 32 and subsequently served as Commander of the ISS during Expedition 33, becoming one of the few women to assume command of the station.
Expedition 71/72(Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test ): In June 2024, she launched into the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft as part of its crewed test flight.
- In March 2025, she landed back on Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. She performed a spacewalk with Butch Wilmore to remove a radio antenna and collect samples from the ISS.
Achievements & Records:
Time in Space: She has logged 608 days in space across her three missions, making her second on NASA’s list for cumulative time in orbit.
- She is jointly ranked sixth for the longest single spaceflight by an American, alongside NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, with both spending 286 days in space during the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions.
Spacewalks: She performed nine spacewalks totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes, the most spacewalk time by a woman and fourth overall in NASA history.
First Marathon in Space: During her first mission, she ran the first marathon ever in space on a treadmill aboard the ISS, completing the Boston Marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers (km).
Awards and Recognitions: She has received two Defence Superior Service Medal (DSSM), a Legion of Merit, two Navy Commendation Medal, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, a Humanitarian Service Medal, and various other service awards.
About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
Administrator – Jared Isaacman
Headquarters – Washington DC, the United States of America(USA)
Established – 1958
