CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Suni Williams — one of two astronauts stuck for months at the International Space Station — has retired.
The space agency announced the news Tuesday, saying her retirement took effect at the end of December.
Williams' crewmate on Boeing’s ill-fated capsule test flight, Butch Wilmore, left NASA last summer.
The pair launched to the space station in 2024, the first people to fly Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule. Their mission should have lasted just a week, but stretched to more than nine months because of Starliner trouble. In the end, they caught a ride home last March with SpaceX.
Boeing's next Starliner mission will carry cargo — not people — to the space station. NASA wants to make sure all of the capsule's thruster and other issues are solved before putting anyone on board. The trial run will take place later this year.
Williams, 60, a former Navy captain, spent more than 27 years at NASA, logging 608 days in space over three station missions. She also set a record for the most spacewalking time by a woman: 62 hours during nine excursions.
NASA's new administrator Jared Isaacman called her “a trailblazer in human spaceflight.”
"Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement," he added in a statement.
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FILE - From left, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, Russia's Alexander Gorbunov, and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams sit inside a SpaceX capsule onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Megan after landing in the water off the coast of Florida, March 18, 2025. (Keegan Barber/NASA via AP, File)
FILE - Astronaut Suni Williams is interviewed at Johnson Space Center on March 31, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — After playing with an oblique injury in the Seattle Seahawks’ 41-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, quarterback Sam Darnold said he has felt “really good” in the days since the victory.
“Just attacking rehab these last couple days,” Darnold said Wednesday. “Obviously will be throughout the week. Like I said, just got to continue to prepare and get my body right for Sunday.”
The eighth-year quarterback was confident last week he would be able to play in the Seahawks’ first home playoff game in front of fans in nearly a decade and followed through.
Before being pulled in the fourth quarter of a blowout win, Darnold completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Coach Mike Macdonald said that Darnold’s health continues to improve, but that he will not be a full-go in practice during the week leading up to Sunday's NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.
“We have a plan,” Macdonald said. “We’re going to work through it; see how the day goes; then kind of take it day by day and take it to tomorrow. But he won’t be like throwing every ball every play for the whole week, no.”
Darnold said he felt something in his oblique while throwing passes to receivers with no defenders last Thursday.
In the regular season, his first with the Seahawks, Darnold passed for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions en route to his second straight Pro Bowl selection. He led Seattle to a 14-3 record and the NFC’s top seed.
Looking back on Saturday’s win, Darnold said he was confident he was going to be OK before the game started.
“To be honest,” Darnold said, “once I came out in warmups and felt good throwing the ball, I was confident about going out there and letting it rip.”
Reserve running back George Holani was designated for return to practice Wednesday. Holani, 26, landed on injured reserve after injuring his hamstring during the Seahawks’ 30-24 win against the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 23.
“It feels great to be back with the guys,” Holani said before Wednesday’s practice. “Been a while, so I’m excited to get back out there.”
Should Holani, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in the regular season, be activated for the NFC championship game, he would likely serve as the backup to Kenneth Walker III.
Running back Zach Charbonnet, who led the Seahawks with 12 rushing touchdowns during the regular season, is out for the remainder of the playoffs with a knee injury that requires surgery. Holani’s potential return could be key for the Seahawks.
“Yeah, George is in great shape,” Macdonald said. “Working his tail off. Excited to get him out there.”
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold speaks during a press conference at the team's facilities ahead of the NFL football NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) watches wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) throw during practice at the team's facilities ahead of the NFL football NFC Championship game, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold reacts during the second half of an NFL football divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold walks on the field during practice at the team's facilities ahead of the NFL football NFC Championship game, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
