Suni Williams, a NASA astronaut who famously spent nine months stuck in space, has dramatically retired, less than one year after returning to solid ground. Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore returned to earth on March 19, 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that splashed down off the coast of Florida. The pair had left earth in June 2024, planning to undertake an 8-day test flight of the new Boeing Starliner capsule to the International Space Station (ISS). However, after the Starliner capsule developed numerous technical issues during the flight, the astronauts were forced to wait until the next crew rotation to return to earth. In total, the pair spent 286 days in space. In total, Williams spent 27 years in service, completing three missions aboard the ISS. However, the unexpectedly long visit to space appeared to take its toll on the 60–year–old. As the days rolled by, health experts and NASA insiders began to raise concerns that Williams was rapidly losing weight. Photos showed her looking gaunt upon returning to earth, although she maintained that she didn't actually lose any weight. Williams' retirement comes just months after Wilmore, announced his own retirement.
