NASA Astronaut Suni Williams Retires After Historic Career

WASHINGTON (Web Desk) – NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams has retired after 27 years of service, bringing an end to a distinguished career that concluded with an extraordinary nine-month stay in space caused by technical issues with her spacecraft. NASA confirmed on Tuesday that Williams officially stepped down on December 27, making the troubled Starliner mission her final journey beyond Earth.

Williams and fellow astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore launched in June 2024 on what was meant to be an eight-day test mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, propulsion problems during the flight to the International Space Station rendered the spacecraft unsafe for their return, leaving the astronauts unexpectedly stranded. NASA later turned to SpaceX to bring them home, and the pair safely returned to Earth in March 2025.

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Despite the challenges, Williams described her time at NASA as “an incredible honor,” saying space remained her favorite place. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised her as a pioneer in human spaceflight, highlighting her leadership aboard the ISS and her role in shaping future commercial space missions. Over her career, Williams spent 608 days in space, completed nine spacewalks totaling 62 hours, and holds multiple records, including the most spacewalk time by a woman.