Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams, famous for her space missions and historic achievements, has retired from NASA after 27 years
Indian-American Astronaut Sunita Williams Ends NASA Journey Following Historic 608 Days in Space (Source: Instagram)
Sunita Williams, a former U.S. Navy officer and highly respected astronaut, has officially retired after 27 years of service with NASA and the U.S. military. Known for her remarkable contributions to space exploration, Williams has participated in multiple space missions throughout her career. NASA announced her retirement on Tuesday, which took effect on December 27, 2025, shortly after last Christmas. Her final mission, initially planned for 10 days, extended to nine and a half months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Sunita Williams is well-known for her achievements in space, including being the first person to run a marathon in orbit. She first flew to space in 2006 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and later commanded the ISS during Expedition 33. Her most recent mission, in 2024-2025, was aboard Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9, where she served as commander of Expedition 72.
Sunita Williams has Indian heritage through her father, a neuroanatomist born in Jhulasan, Mehsana District, Gujarat, who later moved to the U.S. and married Bonnie Pandya, a Slovenian. Sunita was born in Euclid, Ohio, and considers Needham, Massachusetts her hometown. Outside work, she enjoys spending time with her husband Michael and their dogs, hiking, camping, working on cars and airplanes, and home improvement projects.
Williams is married to Michael J. Williams, a federal marshal in Texas and former U.S. Navy officer. The couple met in 1987 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and bonded over their shared experience as helicopter pilots. They have been married for over 20 years.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams does not have children; she and her husband, Michael J. Williams, are a child-free couple, though they consider their pets family and Sunita has expressed a desire to adopt a girl from India. Their "family" includes their beloved pets, like their Jack Russell terrier Gorby.
According to Marca.com, Sunita Williams has an estimated net worth of $5 million. She lives with her husband in Houston, Texas.
Although Williams’ last mission was planned for eight days, technical issues with their spacecraft forced NASA to extend her and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore’s stay on the ISS to nearly nine and a half months. The extended mission raised concerns about the astronauts’ health and NASA’s operational costs.
The Washingtonian reports that astronauts on such missions are treated like they are on a business trip, receiving their regular salaries, essential provisions, and a small daily stipend for incidentals. Retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman explained, "There is some small amount of money per day for incidentals that they end up being legally obligated to pay you." During space missions, astronauts get a $4 daily allowance for incidental expenses. For Williams’ extended stay of about 300 days, this amounts to roughly $1,150 extra pay.
NASA astronauts are paid according to the U.S. government’s General Schedule (GS) pay scale. Sunita Williams, a senior astronaut, falls under the GS-15 grade, earning around $152,258 per year (approximately ₹1.26 crore). Astronaut salaries range from $81,216 to $100,579 for GS-13 and ₹7 million to ₹12.7 million for GS-15.
In addition to their salary, astronauts receive housing allowances, car loans on preferential terms, and comprehensive health insurance coverage. Their food, lodging, and transportation on the ISS are fully provided by NASA.
Selected by NASA in 1998, Sunita Williams has spent 608 days in space across three missions, making her second in cumulative space time among NASA astronauts. She ranks sixth for the longest single spaceflight by an American, tied with Butch Wilmore at 286 days during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions. Williams has completed nine spacewalks totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes the most by any female astronaut and fourth overall among all NASA astronauts. She also made history as the first person to run a marathon in space.
Three Major Space Missions
STS-116 / Expedition 14/15 (2006) – Williams’ first flight to space, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, began on December 9, 2006. She served as a flight engineer and performed four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes.
Expedition 32/33 (2012) – Launched on July 14, 2012, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Williams spent 127 days in orbit. During this mission, she completed three spacewalks to fix an ammonia leak and repair a solar power component on the ISS.
Expedition 71/72 (2024-2025) – Her final and longest mission took place aboard Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9. Williams and Wilmore joined the ISS in June 2024 and returned to Earth in March 2025 after nearly nine and a half months in space.
