Veteran NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy captain Butch Wilmore has officially retired, concluding a 25-year career defined by groundbreaking missions, unwavering resilience, and nearly 500 days spent in space.
NASA hailed Wilmore’s contributions as “truly exemplary,” highlighting his service aboard four spacecraft and a cumulative 464 days in orbit.
“His lasting legacy of fortitude will continue to impact and inspire the Johnson workforce, future explorers, and the nation for generations,” said Stephen Koerner, Acting Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Wilmore’s final and most dramatic mission began in June 2024 as the pilot of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, alongside astronaut Suni Williams. Originally planned as an eight-day test flight, the mission stretched into an unexpected nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical failures with the capsule’s thrusters. The pair returned safely to Earth in March 2025 aboard a SpaceX vehicle dispatched after multiple delays.
At 62, Wilmore retires well past the typical astronaut retirement age. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000 after a distinguished career as a Navy test pilot, he became known for his calm leadership under pressure—particularly during the troubled Starliner docking.
“Docking was imperative,” Wilmore said in May. “If we weren’t able to dock, would we be able to make it back? We didn’t know.”
Despite the uncertainty, Wilmore and Williams, with the support of Mission Control, managed to successfully dock with the ISS. However, persistent safety concerns forced NASA to delay their return, eventually opting to bring them home aboard a different spacecraft.
The astronauts underwent months of rehabilitation after nearly a year in microgravity. They are also expected to continue contributing to long-term studies on the effects of extended spaceflight on the human body.
Reflecting on his career in his farewell address, Wilmore said, “Even as I ventured beyond Earth’s limits, I remained attuned to the beauty and significance of the world below.”
He credited his achievements to an “insatiable curiosity” that fueled his decades of service.
Wilmore leaves behind a powerful legacy of perseverance, leadership, and exploration—forever etched into the history of human spaceflight through NASA’s ambitious and challenging Starliner mission.
