NEED TO KNOW
- NASA has announced that astronaut Butch Wilmore has retired after 25 years with the agency
- The news came four months after Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams returned to Earth after being stranded in space for nearly 300 days
- The pair, who were originally scheduled for an eight-day mission, were continually delayed due to mechanical issues
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore is hanging up his spacesuit.
On Wednesday, Aug. 6, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration confirmed in a press release that Wilmore, 62, was retiring after 25 years with the agency.
The news comes after Wilmore was stranded in space for almost 300 days after embarking on a crew mission to test the Boeing Starliner spacecraft alongside Suni Williams in June 2024. The pair, who were originally scheduled for an eight-day mission, returned to Earth on March 18 after being forced to spend 286 days aboard the International Space Station.
Their return was delayed amid mechanical issues, helium leaks and problems with Starliner’s service module thruster.
Giving his first interview after returning to Earth, father of two Wilmore spoke about the thoughts he had while he was stuck in space.
“It’s not about me,” he told Fox News on March 31. “It’s not about my feelings. It’s about what this human space flight program is about. It’s our national goals. And I have to wrap my mind around, what does our nation need out of me right now?”
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According to NASA, Wilmore spent 464 days in space over his long career and flew in four different spacecrafts after becoming an astronaut in 2000.
“During his time at NASA, Wilmore completed three missions launching aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, Roscosmos Soyuz, and Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station,” the release read. “Wilmore also returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Additionally, he conducted five spacewalks, totaling 32 hours outside the orbital laboratory.”
Wilmore’s NASA career came after he worked as a test pilot and U.S. Navy captain.
Studying at Tennessee Technological University, he earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in electrical engineering before achieving a master’s degree in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee.
“From my earliest days, I have been captivated by the marvels of creation, looking upward with an insatiable curiosity,” he said in a statement, per NASA. “This curiosity propelled me into the skies, and eventually to space, where the magnificence of the cosmos mirrored the glory of its creator in ways words can scarcely convey.”
He continued, “Even as I ventured beyond Earth’s limits, I remained attuned to the beauty and significance of the world below, recognizing the same intricate design evident among the stars is also woven into the fabric of life at home.”
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