Bharti Sharma
Sunita Lyn Pandya Williams, popularly known as Suni Williams, is one of the most celebrated astronauts in history. She was born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, USA, and is 60 years old as of 2026. She is married to Michael J. Williams, and her father is Deepak Pandya. She is also known by other names such as Sonika, Son?ka, and Sunita Pandya Williams.
Suni Williams completed her Bachelor’s degree at the United States Naval Academy and went on to earn a Master’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. She served in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of Captain, and was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1998 as part of NASA Group 17. During her career, she was also a member of several professional organizations, including the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the Society of Flight Test Engineers, and the American Helicopter Association.
Over her extraordinary 27-year career at NASA, Suni Williams completed three major space missions and spent a total of 608 days and 19 minutes in space. She performed nine spacewalks totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes, the most by any woman astronaut. Her first mission, Expedition 14/15, launched on December 9, 2006, aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-116) and lasted 195 days. During this mission, she became the first person to run a marathon in space and set several records for female astronauts, including significant spacewalk time.
Her second mission, Expedition 32/33, launched on July 14, 2012, aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-05M. She began this mission as a flight engineer and later became the Commander of the International Space Station during Expedition 33. Her final mission, the Boeing Crew Flight Test as part of Expeditions 71 and 72, began in June 2024 aboard the Boeing Starliner. While the mission was originally planned for eight days, technical issues extended it to nine months. During this mission, she served as the ISS Commander for the second time and returned safely to Earth on March 18, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Throughout her career, Suni Williams has received numerous prestigious awards and honors. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008, India’s third-highest civilian award, for her contributions to science and engineering. She has also received multiple NASA Spaceflight Medals for her missions, along with military awards such as the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Navy Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Her international honors include Russia’s Medal “For Merit in Space Exploration,” Slovenia’s Golden Order for Merits, and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – Vishwa Pratibha Award. She has also been recognized on the BBC’s 100 Women list in 2024 and holds records for over 50 hours of spacewalks, the most by a female astronaut.
NASA officially announced her retirement on January 20, 2026. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described her as “a trailblazer in human spaceflight,” noting that her contributions advanced space exploration and paved the way for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Following the announcement, she visited the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi on the same day to deliver a lecture titled “The Making of an Astronaut: Sunita Williams’ Story.” During her visit, she shared her experiences from Expeditions 71 and 72, interacted with students and faculty, and spoke about the exciting future of human spaceflight, saying, “It is a very exciting time in human space exploration. Every new project has its ups and downs, but each one teaches us something and prepares us better for what comes next.”
Suni Williams continues to inspire future generations of astronauts, especially women. Her legacy will guide NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and Mars and remains a shining example of courage, dedication, and achievement in human space exploration.
(This written is student of Mass Communication & New Media at Central University of Jammu)