- Sunita Williams has retired from NASA after a 27-year career.
- She is one of the most accomplished astronauts in human spaceflight.
- Her retirement follows an unexpected nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station.
- According to NASA, her retirement became effective on December 27, 2025.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described her as a pioneer in space exploration.
- Sunita Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio. She considers Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown.
- Her father was a neuroanatomist. He was born in Jhulasan, Mehsana district, Gujarat, and later settled in the United States.
- Her mother, Bonnie Pandya, is of Slovenian descent. Sunita Williams' first space flight began on December 9, 2006.
- She flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-116 mission.
- She returned to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis with the STS-117 crew.
- During Expeditions 14 and 15, she served as a flight engineer. During this time, she completed four spacewalks, which was a record at the time.
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