Sunita Williams Retires: Career Milestones, Net Worth & More of Indian-Origin NASA Astronaut

Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams has retired after a distinguished 27-year career with the US space agency, with her retirement taking effect at the end of December 2025, NASA announced on Wednesday (Tuesday in the US).

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Sunita Williams Retires

Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams has retired after a distinguished 27-year career with the US space agency, with her retirement taking effect at the end of December 2025, Nasa announced on Wednesday (Tuesday in the US).

Image Credit : Getty

3 Missions, multiple records

Williams (60), completed three missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and set multiple records in human spaceflight.

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"Trailblazer in human spaceflight"

Announcing her retirement, Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman described Williams as “a trailblazer in human spaceflight,” adding that her leadership aboard the space station helped shape the future of exploration and commercial missions to low Earth orbit.

“Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to Nasa and our nation,” he said.

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608 days in space

Williams logged 608 days in space, the second-highest cumulative time by a Nasa astronaut. She also ranks sixth among Americans for the longest single spaceflight, tied with astronaut Butch Wilmore, with both spending 286 days in orbit.

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Nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes

Williams completed nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes, making her the woman with the most spacewalking time, as per Nasa. She was also the first person to run a marathon in space.

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From space shuttle missions to the Starliner test flight

Williams first flew to space aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2006 and later returned on Atlantis.

She served as a flight engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15, completing a then-record four spacewalks.

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Boeing’s Starliner first crewed test flight

In 2012, she returned to the ISS as part of Expeditions 32 and 33, during which she also served as space station commander and carried out critical repair spacewalks.

Her most recent mission came in June 2024, when Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on its first crewed test flight. What was planned as a short mission stretched to over nine months due to technical issues with the spacecraft. The pair eventually returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.

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3 Space Missions In 27 Years

The 60-year-old NASA astronaut took her first flight to space on December 9, 2006, aboard space shuttle Discovery with the crew of STS-116. The second mission came six years later, on July 14, 2012, when Williams launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a 127-day mission as a member of Expedition 32/33. And, the third mission, which turned out to be the longest, saw Williams and Wilmore launch aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 as part of NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test mission. She and Wilmore went on to join Expedition 71/72. The two astronauts returned to Earth in March 2025.

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Sunita Williams net worth

Sunita Williams, who resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband Michael J Williams, a federal marshal, has an estimated net worth of $5 million, according to Marca.com. 

However, Sunita Williams' exact net worth isn't publicly disclosed, but her wealth comes from her military pension, astronaut salary (around $80k-$160k/year), and potential endorsements, though she's not known for high-profile commercial ventures, placing her likely in the multi-million dollar range, but specific figures are elusive.

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Indian roots and inspiration for future explorers

Williams, who is of Indian origin, has often spoken about her connection to India, calling her visit to the country a “homecoming”.

During her recent visit to Delhi, she said seeing Earth from space made differences between people seem smaller, adding, “It really makes you feel like we are just one.”

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"Space, An Absolute Favourite Place To Be"

“Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favourite place to be,” said Williams. “It's been an incredible honour 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," she was quoted by NASA.