WASHINGTON: NASA astronaut Suni Williams, who was stranded in space for nine months due to issues with her spacecraft, has retired after 27 years of service, the space agency announced on Tuesday.
Williams officially stepped down on December 27, marking the end of her illustrious career. Her last mission, which began in June 2024, was intended to be an eight-day test flight of Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. However, the mission turned into a prolonged ordeal after the Starliner developed propulsion issues during the journey to the International Space Station (ISS), leaving Williams and fellow astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore stranded in space.
Despite the challenges, Williams described her time with NASA as “an incredible honor.” She expressed her deep passion for space, saying, “Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favorite place to be.”
After the spacecraft’s technical problems, NASA had to rely on Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the astronauts’ return, bypassing Boeing. Williams and Wilmore were safely brought back to Earth in March 2025. Wilmore announced his retirement in August of that year.
During her career, Williams spent 608 days in space, making her the second most experienced NASA astronaut in terms of cumulative time in space. She also ranks sixth on the list of longest single spaceflights by an American, thanks to the extended duration caused by the Starliner incident.
Williams’ accomplishments include completing nine spacewalks, totaling 62 hours—the most spacewalk time by a woman and the fourth-most on the all-time cumulative spacewalk duration list.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised Williams as a “trailblazer in human spaceflight,” acknowledging her leadership aboard the space station and her role in shaping the future of commercial space missions.
