Suni Williams, a Needham native and longtime NASA astronaut, announced her retirement after a 27-year career that included three spaceflights and 608 days in orbit. Her most high-profile mission left her stranded aboard the International Space Station for roughly 286 days following a troubled Boeing Starliner launch on June 5, 2024. Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore completed 4,576 orbits and traveled about 121 million miles before splashdown. She logged nine spacewalks (62 hours, 6 minutes) — the most by a woman — and was the first person to run a marathon in space.
Suni Williams Retires After 27 Years — Astronaut Who Spent Nine Months Stranded on the ISS
In this handout image provided by NASA, A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is seen as it lands with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard in the water on March 18, 2025 off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)
Suni Williams, the Needham, Massachusetts native and veteran NASA astronaut, announced Tuesday that she is retiring after a 27-year career that included three spaceflights and 608 days in orbit.
Williams became widely known after a troubled Boeing Starliner crewed mission extended her stay aboard the International Space Station to roughly 286 days. Launched June 5, 2024, Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore expected a short mission but remained in orbit for more than nine months before returning to Earth.
By splashdown the pair had completed 4,576 orbits and traveled about 121 million miles (195 million kilometers). Across her career Williams logged a total of 608 days in space and flew three times, first reaching orbit aboard space shuttle Discovery in 2006.
“Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favorite place to be,” Williams said in a statement distributed by 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. 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.”
Williams completed nine spacewalks during her career, totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes — the most cumulative spacewalk time by a woman and the fourth-most overall. She also holds the distinction of being the first person to run a marathon in space.
NASA leaders and industry partners praised Williams’ leadership, technical skill and contributions to commercial crew operations and future exploration. Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, called Williams “a pioneering leader” whose work will inspire future generations of explorers.
Williams leaves NASA with a legacy of operational excellence, scientific support aboard the ISS, and a high-profile role in demonstrating the promise — and risks — of commercial crewed missions. Her retirement closes a long chapter in human spaceflight while the agency and its partners move forward with Artemis and further commercial low-Earth-orbit operations.
Note: This is a developing story. Check official NASA releases for any further statements or details.
Support teams work around a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA / Keegan Barber / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In this handout image provided by NASA, A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is seen as it lands with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard in the water on March 18, 2025 off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)
In this handout image provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), support teams work on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov onboard on March 18, 2025 off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. Williams and Wilmore were returning from a stay onboard the International Space Station that began in June 2024. (Photo by Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore(l), Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov (2nd L), and NASA astronauts Nick Hague (2nd R) and Suni Williams (R) are seen inside a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship MEGAN shortly after having landed in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA / Keegan Barber / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NASA astronaut Suni Williams is helped out of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship MEGAN after she, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov landed in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA / Keegan Barber / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore is helped out of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship MEGAN after he, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov landed in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA / Keegan Barber / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NASA astronaut Suni Williams is helped out of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship MEGAN after she, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov landed in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA / Keegan Barber / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NASA astronaut Nick Hague is helped out of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship MEGAN after, NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov landed in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA / Keegan Barber / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Teachers from Gurukul school of art carry back a painting welcoming American astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to earth on the street outside their art school in Mumbai. American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will be returning back to earth after more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). (Photo by Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Help us improve.
