NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams Retires After 27 Years and Record Space Missions

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams retired on December 27, 2025, after a 27-year career marked by three missions and 608 days in space, the second-highest cumulative time for a NASA astronaut. She holds the record for the most spacewalking time by a woman, totaling 62 hours across nine spacewalks, and was the first to run a marathon in space. Her final mission aboard Boeing's Starliner was extended from eight days to over nine months due to technical issues, returning via SpaceX. NASA praised her leadership and contributions to future lunar and Mars exploration. Williams, of Indian-Slovenian heritage, is currently visiting India, reflecting on her career and cultural roots.