Liputan6.com, Jakarta - NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams officially retired from the space agency on December 27, 2025, after 27 years of service.
His retirement announcement was made by NASA on January 20, 2026.
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During her career, Williams has completed three missions on the International Space Station (ISS) and set numerous human spaceflight records.
Its final mission, the Boeing Crew Flight Test, experienced an unexpected extension of more than nine months due to technical problems with the Starliner spacecraft.
He and her partner, Butch Wilmore, finally returned to Earth in March 2025 using the SpaceX Crew-9 spacecraft.
“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,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
“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.”
Astronaut Sunita Williams Profile
Sunita Lyn Williams, born on September 19 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, United States, has a family background that is rich in diversity.
Her father, Deepak Pandya, is an Indian-American neuroanatomist from Gujarat, India, while her mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya, is of Slovenian-American descent.
Her educational journey began with graduation from Needham High School in 1983.
She then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Sciences from the United States Naval Academy in 1987, and completed a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.
Before joining NASA, Williams had a distinguished military career in the US Navy, being commissioned as an ensign in 1987.
She began pilot training in 1987 and helicopter gunship training in July 1989.
Her experience includes flying in a helicopter support squadron during preparations for the Persian Gulf War and Hurricane Andrew relief missions in 1992.
Williams also became a naval test pilot in 1993 and later a test pilot instructor, flying more than 30 types of aircraft with more than 3,000 flight hours.
She retired as a US Navy Captain.
Sunita Williams' Record in Space
Williams was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1998, undergoing extensive training in spacecraft systems, robotics, T-38 jet flights, survival training, and Russian space operations.
Her first mission, Expedition 14/15, began in December 2006, where he served as Flight Engineer and spent more than 195 days in space.
Her second mission, Expedition 32/33 in 2012, made her Commander of the International Space Station (ISS), spending 127 days in orbit.
Williams' total cumulative time in space reached 608 days, 19 minutes, placing her in second place as a NASA astronaut with the highest cumulative time in space.
She also holds the record for the longest spacewalk time for a woman with 62 hours 6 minutes in nine spacewalks, making her fourth overall in NASA history.
Other accomplishments include becoming the second woman to command the ISS in September 2012, and the first person to complete a marathon in space in 2007.
She also became the first woman to fly a test flight of an orbital spacecraft during the Boeing Crew Flight Test 2024.
The Last Mission and Legacy
Williams' final mission, the Boeing Crew Flight Test, which begins in June 2024, was originally planned for just eight days.
However, technical problems with the Starliner spacecraft caused the mission to be extended to more than nine months.
During this extension, he again took command of the ISS for Expedition 72.
Williams and her partner, Butch Wilmore, finally returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard the SpaceX Crew-9 spacecraft.
Williams has received numerous military and NASA awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Padma Bhushan from India in 2008.