NASA Announces the Retirement of Once Stranded Astronaut Suni Williams
Williams went on three missions to the International Space Station.
Published Jan. 21 2026, 1:58 p.m. ET
The legendary, record-setting NASA astronaut Suni Williams has officially retired, according to a NASA press release. Williams was famously stranded in space for an extended period of time due to technical issues, but that chaotic and dramatic mission should not overshadow a groundbreaking career full of tremendous moments.
Williams has enjoyed a storied career in a fascinating field, and her accomplishments will forever be etched in American history books.
If you are not yet familiar with Williams's historic career, buckle up for a wonderful journey through the amazing highs of a talented astronaut who has written and rewritten the record books. Below, we report on Williams's journey over the years, as well as the heaps of praise rightfully bestowed upon her.
Continue reading to learn more about the details of Williams's career and retirement announcement.
Suni Williams has retired as a NASA astronaut.
On Jan. 20, NASA announced that legendary astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams has retired, effective Dec. 27, 2025. Throughout Williams's groundbreaking career, she completed three missions aboard the International Space Station.
Williams amassed a remarkable 608 days in space, which ranks second on the list of cumulative days in space, behind only Peggy Whitson, who logged 695 cumulative days in space.
She and Butch Wilmore famously totaled 286 days in space together during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions, which ranks sixth among NASA's list of longest single spaceflights by an American.
As if that weren't enough, "Williams also completed nine spacewalks, totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes, ranking as the most spacewalk time by a woman and fourth-most on the all-time cumulative spacewalk duration list," per NASA. "She also was the first person to run a marathon in space."
“Suni Williams has been a trailblazer in human spaceflight, shaping the future of exploration through her leadership aboard the space station and paving the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. “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."
Per NASA, Williams launched for the first time in her storied career in December 2006 while aboard the space shuttle Discovery with STS-116
Then, in 2012, she launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a 127-day mission as a member of Expedition 32/33.
Then, of course, she and Wilmore launched in June 2024 aboard the Starliner spacecraft, then joined Expedition 71/72, completed two spacewalks, and mercifully returned in March 2025.
Suni Williams health update:
Williams appears to be in good health after undergoing standard rehabilitation protocol upon her return to Earth following her nine months stranded in space. According to a report in The U.S. Sun, she and Wilmore experienced "chicken legs and baby feet" upon their return, prompting the rehabilitation program that lasted up to 45 days.
“Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favorite place to be,” Williams said, per NASA. “It’s been an incredible honor 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.
"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," she continued. "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.”