Sunita Williams ‘finally’ returns to Earth: From Naval Pilot to spacewalking legend—a career of remarkable achievements

Indian-American space traveller Sunita Williams, a NASA veteran, spent over nine months on the International Space Station (ISS) and after 9 months of stay the stranded astronauts landed safely on 18 March 2025. Williams and astronaut Butch Wilmore have been aboard the ISS since June 2024. The extended stay is another remarkable chapter in the career of Williams, which is marked by multiple space missions and numerous records.
Williams and Wilmore were part of the first crew for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to fly on orbit in a historic spaceflight milestone under a test mission in June 2024. However, after being informed of the fact that the propulsion system of the spacecraft was struggling, NASA understood that it wouldn't be safe enough to have the astronauts fly back home aboard the spacecraft. So, NASA decided to reassign Williams and Wilmore to the Crew-9 mission. Starliner flew back to Earth without any passengers in September 2024, while the astronauts remained on board the ISS.

Sunita Williams was born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, to Indian-American parents Dr. Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya. As the second Indian-American astronaut in America, after the tragic Columbia disaster loss of Kalpana Chawla, Williams has left a lasting legacy in the history of space exploration.


Williams began her career in the U.S. Navy, where she possessed outstanding leadership and technical skill:


Sunita Williams' selection by NASA's astronaut program in 1998 was a career highlight:

Williams spent 608 days in space during her working life, which makes her a standout among space travelers. She continues to be an inspiring role model as a female trailblazer in STEM and space exploration.

Aside from being the holder of the female record for spending the most spacewalk time, Williams has won numerous awards in her career. Among her history-making achievements include her productive effort in space discovery and being a role model to generations of space explorers yet to come. With her persistent dedication to science, exploration, and global partnership, Sunita Williams became a legendary personality in space exploration.

Sunita Williams returns to Earth on this mission, a career milestone will have been achieved. With 608 days spent in space, Williams is second only to Peggy Whitson, the most experienced astronaut in terms of total time in space, with a total of 675 days recorded.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth at 5:57 pm EDT (3:30 am IST). Their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, marking the end of their mission. After a smooth separation from the ISS, the astronaut crew, including Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Gorbunov, successfully splashed down off the coast of Florida. Their return follows a mission involving important research and experiments aboard the ISS. This marks another significant achievement in the ongoing collaboration between NASA and Roscosmos.
Also Read | Who is Sunita Williams’ husband? Everything you need to know about their love story, her family background, NASA journey and more