NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore – Wiki Commons.
After Wilmore conquered space, he sets on an even greater challenge – retirement.
Butch Wilmore was a US navy test pilot that conquered space, became a NASA astronaut, and ended up famous for enduring the dangers of flying the maiden crewed voyage for Boeing’s Starliner – a mission that should have lasted 8 days but went on for 9 months.
Yesterday (6), we learned that Wilmore has retired from the US space agency, less than five months after returning to Earth to the relief of millions worldwide that were following the drama.
After 25 years at @NASA, flying in four different spacecraft, accumulating 464 days in space, astronaut and test pilot Butch Wilmore has retired from NASA.
Congratulations on an extraordinary career. Thank you for your service, your ingenuity, and the legacy you leave behind.… pic.twitter.com/NISrm2QQgT
— NASA’s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) August 6, 2025
Starliner’s flight was plagued by many problems, and returned to Earth empty, leaving Wilmore and Williams stranded behind.
New York Post reported:
“Wilmore and Suni Williams launched last summer as test pilots on Boeing’s first astronaut flight. What should have been a weeklong trip to the International Space Station turned into a stay of more than nine months because of Boeing’s malfunctioning Starliner.
Starliner came back empty, and Wilmore and Williams returned to Earth in March with SpaceX.”
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were left stranded in space for over 9 months until a SpaceX Dragon capsule rescued them.
Besides being an experienced pilot, Willmore also is ‘an experienced retiree’, since he has already retired from the navy.
“Selected as an astronaut in 2000, Wilmore logged 464 days in orbit over three missions. His final spaceflight made up nearly two-thirds of that total: 286 days.
‘Throughout his career, Butch has exemplified the technical excellence of what is required of an astronaut’, NASA’s chief astronaut Joe Acaba said in a statement. ‘As he steps into this new chapter, that same dedication will no doubt continue to show in whatever he decides to do next’.”
Thank you Butch, and we can’t wait to see the trails you blaze in your next chapter.
Space shuttle Atlantis launches for STS-129, Butch Wilmore’s first spaceflight back in 2009 https://t.co/Cjgn9myMu7 pic.twitter.com/xjf8LLKr8j
— NASA History Office (@NASAhistory) August 6, 2025
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The post A HERO’S FAREWELL: Veteran Astronaut Butch Wilmore, That Biden Left Stranded in Space for 9 Months, Retires From NASA appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
