NASA Astronaut Suni Williams Retires After 608 Days in Space

A pioneering astronaut who spent nearly two years of her life orbiting Earth has closed the book on one of NASA's most inspiring careers.

Suni Williams retired from NASA on December 27, 2025, after 27 years of service that reshaped what's possible in human spaceflight. The Massachusetts native logged 608 days in space across three missions to the International Space Station, ranking second among all NASA astronauts for cumulative time beyond Earth.

Williams didn't just spend time in space. She made history there. During nine spacewalks totaling over 62 hours, she set the record for most spacewalk time by any woman and became the first person to run a marathon in space.

Her journey began in December 2006 aboard space shuttle Discovery. She returned to space in 2012, commanding the International Space Station during Expedition 33. Her most recent mission launched in June 2024 aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, where she spent 286 days in orbit before returning home in March 2025.

Between flights, Williams prepared the next generation of explorers. She lived underwater for nine days testing extreme environment operations, served as deputy chief of the Astronaut Office, and most recently helped develop helicopter training programs for future Moon landings.

The Ripple Effect

Williams' legacy extends far beyond her personal records. Her work testing commercial spacecraft and advancing station operations has directly enabled NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the Moon. The scientific experiments she conducted and systems she maintained have created the foundation for eventual missions to Mars.

Her leadership also broke barriers. As a woman commanding the space station twice, she showed countless young people that the highest reaches of space exploration are open to everyone with the determination to get there.

"Space is my absolute favorite place to be," Williams said upon her retirement. "I hope the foundation we set has made these bold steps a little easier."

A retired Navy captain who flew more than 40 different aircraft types, Williams now passes the torch to a new generation standing on her shoulders, ready to go even farther.