NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore has announced his retirement from the space agency, just months after returning from a prolonged stay in space. Wilmore, along with fellow astronaut Suni Williams, piloted the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft last year. However, the mission encountered several issues, including thruster outages and gas leaks, which led to an extended stay on the International Space Station.
During a press conference in March, Wilmore and Williams maintained that they were fully prepared for their extended stay in space, saying they understood the risks and uncertainty associated with test flying a spacecraft for the first time. Wilmore’s “commitment to NASA’s mission and dedication to human space exploration is truly exemplary,” said Steve Koerner, the acting head of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Wilmore’s departure from NASA follows in the footsteps of astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who piloted the first crewed test flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule in 2020. Wilmore, a Naval officer and test pilot with 25 years of service, flew on three missions, including a mission on the space shuttle Atlantis and a trip to the space station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Despite the challenges faced during the Starliner mission, Wilmore expressed his confidence in the spacecraft, saying he would theoretically fly aboard one of Boeing’s Starliner capsules again if given the opportunity. “We’re going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We’re going to fix them, we’re going to make it work,” Wilmore said during a news conference in March. “And with that, I’d get on in a heartbeat.”
Wilmore’s retirement marks the end of an era for a dedicated astronaut who has contributed significantly to NASA’s mission. His legacy will continue to inspire future explorers and the nation for generations to come.
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore’s retirement marks the end of a 25-year career, filled with notable achievements, including 21 combat missions as a Naval officer and test pilot, and 464 days in space across four different spacecraft. Despite the challenges faced during the Boeing Starliner test mission, Wilmore expressed his willingness to fly again on the spacecraft, highlighting his dedication to NASA’s mission and human space exploration.