NASA's astronaut Sunita Williams, 60, retired from the space agency after a stellar career of 27 years as she completed three missions aboard the International Space Station and set various human spaceflight records.
Williams was born to a Gujarati father, Deepak Pandya, and a Slovenian mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, in the US. Her father hails from Jhulasan in Mehsana district.
What NASA said on her retirement
"After 27 years of service, NASA astronaut Suni Williams retired from the agency, effective Dec. 27, 2025. Williams completed three missions aboard the International Space Station, setting numerous human spaceflight records throughout her career," NASA said in a statement issued on January 20.
Williams was in news just last year after she and her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore were stranded in space for around 9 months during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described Williams as a trailblazer in human spaceflight and credited her for shaping the future of exploration through leadership.
“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.”
600+ days in space
{{/usCountry}}“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.”
600+ days in space
{{/usCountry}}Williams logged 608 days in space, ranking her second on the list of cumulative time in space by a NASA astronaut.
She also completed nine spacewalks, totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes, which is the highest by a woman and fourth-most on the all-time cumulative spacewalk duration list. She was the first person to run a marathon in space, NASA said.
Suni Williams' education
She holds a bachelor's degree in physical science from the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in engineering management from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. Williams is a retired US Navy captain and an accomplished helicopter and fixed-wing pilot. She has logged more than 4,000 flight hours in 40 different aircraft, according to PTI.
Suni Williams' on retirement
“It's been an incredible honour to have served in the Astronaut Office and have had the opportunity to fly in space three times. I had an amazing 27-year career at NASA, and that is mainly because of all the wonderful love and support I’ve received from my colleagues," she as quoted as saying.
The International Space Station, the people, the engineering, and the science are truly awe-inspiring and have made the next steps of exploration to the Moon and Mars possible, the veteran astronaut said.
"I hope the foundation we set has made these bold steps a little easier. 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 said.