Key Takeaways

• She served as a flight engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15, completing a then-record four spacewalks.
• What was planned as a short mission stretched to over nine months due to technical issues with the spacecraft.
• Williams completed nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes, making her the woman with the most spacewalking time, as per Nasa.

Key Development 1

NewsWorld NewsUS NewsEnd of an era: Sunita Williams retires at 60; Indian-origin Nasa astronaut leaves behind legacy of recordsTrendingWorld's safest cityIsrael warna IranBruce SpringsteenGreenland protestMinneapolis newsTrump letter to NorwayRussian winterWorld's safest cityIsrael warna IranBruce SpringsteenGreenland protestMinneapolis newsTrump letter to NorwayRussian winterWorld's safest cityIsrael warna IranBruce SpringsteenGreenland protestMinneapolis newsTrump letter to NorwayRussian winterEnd of an era: Sunita Williams retires at 60; Indian-origin Nasa astronaut leaves behind legacy of recordsTOI World Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Jan 21, 2026, 08:14 ISTCommentsShareAA+Text SizeSmallMediumLarge File photo: Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams (Picture credit: PTI) Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams has now retired after a distinguished 27-year career with the US space agency, with her retirement taking effect at the end of December 2025, Nasa made public on Wednesday (Tuesday in the US).

Williams completed three missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and set multiple records in human spaceflight.Announcing her retirement, Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman described Williams as “a trailblazer in human spaceflight,” adding that her leadership aboard the space station helped shape the future of exploration and commercial missions to low Earth orbit.

She served as a flight engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15, completing a then-record four spacewalks.

What was planned as a short mission stretched to over nine months due to technical issues with the spacecraft.

Key Development 2

In 2012, she returned to the ISS as part of Expeditions 32 and 33, during which she also served as space station commander and carried out critical repair spacewalks.Her most recent mission came in June 2024, when Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on its first crewed test flight.

During her recent visit to Delhi, she stated seeing Earth from space made differences between people seem smaller, adding, “It really makes you feel like we are just one.”Reflecting on her career, Williams stated space was her “absolute favourite place to be” and credited her colleagues for making her journey possible.

“I had an amazing 27-year career at Nasa,” she said, adding that the ISS and its science have helped pave the way for future Moon and Mars missions."I hope the foundation we set has now made these bold steps a little easier.

She also ranks sixth among Americans for the longest single spaceflight, tied with astronaut Butch Wilmore, with both spending 286 days in orbit.

Key Development 3

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“Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to Nasa and our nation,” he said.Williams logged 608 days in space, the second-highest cumulative time by a Nasa astronaut.

I am super excited for NASA and its partner agencies as we take these next steps, and I can’t wait to watch the agency make history,” she added.About the AuthorTOI World DeskAt TOI World Desk, our dedicated team of seasoned journalists and passionate writers tirelessly sifts through the vast tapestry of global events to bring you the latest news and diverse perspectives round the clock.

The pair eventually returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.Indian roots and inspiration for future explorersWilliams, who is of Indian origin, has now often spoken about her connection to India, calling her visit to the country a “homecoming”.

Key Development 4

She was also the first person to run a marathon in space.From space shuttle missions to the Starliner test flightWilliams first flew to space aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2006 and later returned on Atlantis.

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Williams completed nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes, making her the woman with the most spacewalking time, as per Nasa.

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Key Development 5

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