NASA astronaut Sunita Williams retires
New Delhi (PTI): NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has retired from the space agency, capping a stellar 27-year career during which she completed three missions aboard the International Space Station and set various human spaceflight records.
Williams, 60, is currently visiting India. On Tuesday afternoon, she participated in an interactive session hosted at the American Center here.
Posters of the event -- "Eyes on the Stars, Feet on the Ground", at the venue, described her as 'NASA Astronaut, Ret. and US Navy Captain, Ret.'
During conversation, she shared her experiences from the time when she had got stuck in space when an eight-day mission to the International Space Station had turned out to be a challenge of a lifetime as problems cropped up on their Boeing space flight that stretched her stay in orbit to over nine months.
"After 27 years of service, NASA astronaut Suni Williams retired from the agency, effective Dec. 27, 2025. Williams completed three missions aboard the International Space Station, setting numerous human spaceflight records throughout her career," NASA said in a statement issued on January 20.
Sunita 'Suni' Williams was born to a Gujarati father, Deepak Pandya, hailing from Jhulasan in Mehsana district and a Slovenian mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya, on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, in the US.
“Suni Williams has been a trailblazer in human spaceflight, shaping the future of exploration through her leadership aboard the space station and paving the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was quoted as saying in the statement.
“Her work advancing science and technology has laid the foundation for Artemis missions to the Moon and advancing toward Mars, and her extraordinary achievements will continue to inspire generations to dream big and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to NASA and our nation.”
Williams logged 608 days in space -- second on the list of cumulative time in space by a NASA astronaut. She ranks sixth on the list of longest single spaceflight by an American, tied with NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, both logging 286 days during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions, it said.
Williams also completed nine spacewalks, totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes, ranking as the most spacewalk time by a woman and fourth-most on the all-time cumulative spacewalk duration list. She was the first person to run a marathon in space, NASA said.
The Needham, Massachusetts, native holds a bachelor's degree in physical science from the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in engineering management from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.
A retired US Navy captain, Williams is an accomplished helicopter and fixed-wing pilot, having logged more than 4,000 flight hours in 40 different aircraft, it said.
“Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favourite place to be,” Williams was quoted as saying in the statement.
“It's been an incredible honour to have served in the Astronaut Office and have had the opportunity to fly in space three times. I had an amazing 27-year career at NASA, and that is mainly because of all the wonderful love and support I’ve received from my colleagues," she said.
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, the veteran astronaut said.
"I hope the foundation we set has made these bold steps a little easier. I am super excited for NASA and its partner agencies as we take these next steps, and I can’t wait to watch the agency make history," she said.
Williams launched for the first time aboard space shuttle Discovery with STS-116 in December 2006 and returned aboard space shuttle Atlantis with the STS-117 crew.
She served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 14/15 and completed a then-record-breaking four spacewalks during the mission.
In 2012, Williams launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a 127-day mission as a member of Expedition 32/33. She also served as space station commander for Expedition 33.
Williams performed three spacewalks during the mission to repair a leak on a station radiator and replace a component that gets power from the station’s solar arrays to its systems, it said.
Most recently, Williams and Wilmore launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission. She and Wilmore went on to join Expedition 71/72, and Williams again took command of the space station for Expedition 72.
She completed two spacewalks on the mission and returned to Earth in March 2025, as part of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
“Suni is incredibly sharp, and an all-around great friend and colleague,” said Scott Tingle, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA Johnson.
“She’s inspired so many people, including myself and other astronauts in the corps. We’re all going to miss her greatly and wish her nothing but the best.”
Beyond her spaceflight experience, Williams held numerous roles throughout her NASA career.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Food delivery agent intervenes to stop street fight in Delhi's Dwarka, stabbed to death
New Delhi (PTI): A 32-year-old food delivery executive was stabbed to death when he allegedly intervened in a violent altercation between two groups in southwest Delhi's Dwarka, police said on Monday.
The deceased has been identified as Govind Jha, a resident of Mohan Garden.
Three others sustained stab injuries in the incident and are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, they said.
Authorities also cautioned against attempts to give the incident a communal colour.
According to the police, Jha was on his way to work on Sunday night when he noticed a street fight taking place at Rajapuri in Madhu Vihar area of Dwarka. The altercation involved two men pitted against three others, who were later identified as Parvesh, Anish and Rohit.
"Jha stopped at the spot and attempted to intervene. During the scuffle, the two men allegedly pulled out knives and began stabbing Parvesh, Anish and Rohit. When Jha tried to intervene, he was also attacked," a police officer said.
All four injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Jha succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The other three men are under medical observation.
Police said the accused fled the spot after the incident, and multiple teams have been formed to identify and apprehend them.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Kushal Pal Singh, in a statement, said that some messages circulating on social media are attempting to give a communal angle to the incident.
"In the incident, four people suffered stab injuries and were admitted to the hospital. One person died at the hospital, and the remaining three are undergoing treatment. The victims belong to two different communities. The accused stabbed all four victims. Dwarka Police is conducting a search for the accused," the DCP said.
"There is no communal angle to the incident. Strict action will be taken against those spreading false information," he said.
