NASA astronaut Suni Williams, known for her record-setting achievements and resilience during the Boeing Starliner debacle, has retired after a 27-year career. NASA announced on Tuesday (January 20) that Williams' retirement took effect at the end of December. Her retirement follows a remarkable career, including a monthslong, unplanned stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

Williams, who joined NASA in 1998, has logged 608 days in space, the second-most by a NASA astronaut, and holds the record for the most spacewalk time by a woman with 62 hours across nine spacewalks. Her career includes three spaceflights, starting with her first trip to the ISS in 2006 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, followed by a 2012 mission in a Russian Soyuz capsule.

Her final mission, a test flight of Boeing's Starliner, was intended to last just over a week but extended to more than nine months due to technical issues. Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore garnered international attention during this period. In a statement, Williams expressed gratitude for her colleagues' support, saying, "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."

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described Williams as a "trailblazer in human spaceflight," highlighting her contributions to advancing science and technology for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Williams also holds the unique distinction of being the first person to complete a triathlon in space, using a stationary bike, weight-lifting machine, and treadmill.

Williams' departure from NASA comes months after returning from the ISS, marking the end of an illustrious career that has inspired future generations of explorers. NASA plans to conduct another uncrewed test flight of the Starliner spacecraft, addressing the technical issues encountered during Williams and Wilmore's mission.

Bret Saunders