Sunita Williams Retirement: NASA’s ‘Space Marathon Runner’ took retirement, said – Space was my favorite place

NASA’s veteran astronaut after spending 27 years, three space missions and a total of 608 days in space Sunita Williams Has officially taken retirement. NASA confirmed this on Tuesday and said that his retirement became effective from December 27, 2025. The special thing is that Sunita’s last mission was for only 10 days, but due to technical reasons she stayed on the International Space Station (ISS) for about nine and a half months. This journey was not only long but also historical.

Sunita Williams’ name has now been registered among those astronauts who continuously pushed human boundaries. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called her a “trailblazer of human spaceflight” and said her achievements will continue to inspire future generations to dream big.

608 days in space: a long list of records

Sunita Williams of Indian origin was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998. He spent a total of 608 days in space across three space flights, which is the second highest figure for any NASA astronaut. He is sixth in the list of American astronauts in terms of spending 286 days in space in a single mission. Sunita also set a new standard in the matter of spacewalk. He did a total of 9 spacewalks, whose duration was 62 hours 6 minutes. This is the most by any female astronaut. Not only this, she also became the first person to run a marathon in space.

Three missions, each time a new history

Sunita Williams’ first space mission took place on December 9, 2006, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. During Expedition 14/15, he played the role of flight engineer and created a world record at that time by performing four spacewalks. This mission became a strong foundation for his career. The second mission launched in 2012 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In this 127-day mission, he fixed the ammonia leak in the radiator of the ISS and made important repairs related to the solar system. This mission was considered very challenging technically.

The longest and most memorable last mission

The third and longest mission begins in June 2024, when Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore depart on NASA’s Crew Flight Test Mission aboard Boeing Starliner. This mission was to last for 10 days, but circumstances made it almost nine months long. Both astronauts returned to Earth in March 2025. This mission was not only a test of their endurance, but also proved to be very important for the future of commercial space flight.

Indian roots, global identity

Sunita Williams’ father Deepak Pandya was a neuroanatomist born in Jhulasan village of Mehsana district of Gujarat, who later moved to America. His mother Bonnie Pandya was of Slovenian origin. Born in Ohio, Sunita considers herself connected to the city of Needham, Massachusetts. This astronaut of Indian origin has also become a powerful symbol of India-US scientific cooperation across the world.

‘Space is my favorite place’

On retirement, Sunita Williams said that space has always been her favorite place. He called it the biggest honor of his life that he got the opportunity to go to space thrice. According to him, the ISS and the science and engineering there are the foundation of future Moon and Mars missions. He also said that he is now excited to see NASA and its partners create history, even if he himself is no longer a part of the mission.

legacy for future generations

Sunita Williams’ career is not limited to just statistics and records. They paved the way for commercial space missions, the Artemis program, and future Mars missions. His story shows that with dedication, discipline and curiosity, a person can truly reach the stars.

Farewell to the stars, inspiration always with you

Sunita Williams’ retirement marks the end of an era, but her legacy will live on forever in NASA and space science. She will no longer go on missions, but her achievements will continue to inspire every new astronaut to move forward. Even after returning to Earth, Sunita Williams’ name will always be remembered as the woman who made space her home.