Suni Williams spent part of her career waiting in orbit for a troubled spacecraft to be cleared for the trip home. Now, after nearly three decades of launches, spacewalks and one very public delay, the veteran astronaut is stepping away from the cockpit.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has retired after 27 years of service, effective December 27, 2025.

Over the course of her career, she spent a total of 608 days in space, the second-highest cumulative time logged by any NASA astronaut.