Sunita Williams

Sunita (Suni) L. Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and is a veteran of two space missions, Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33. She and Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. Following the agency’s decision to return Starliner uncrewed, the duo lived and worked aboard the space station for an unexpected nine-month stay in space as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew and returned home on March 18, 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. In 2026, she announced her retirement from NASA.

A retired U.S. Navy captain, Williams is a record-setting spaceflight veteran. She earned a degree in physical science from the U.S. Naval Academy and later obtained a master’s degree in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology. She served as a naval aviator and test pilot before being selected as a NASA astronaut in 1998.

Williams first flew to space in 2006 as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Expedition 14/15. During this mission, she set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at the time, spending 195 days in orbit. She also performed four spacewalks, totaling nearly 30 hours outside the ISS. She later commanded Expedition 33 in 2012, bringing her total space time to 322 days. Overall, she has spent over 60 hours on spacewalks, the most by a woman.

Known for her endurance and athleticism, Williams famously completed the Boston Marathon on a treadmill while aboard the ISS.

Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including the Legion of Merit and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.