Starliner astronaut Butch Wilmore retires from NASA less than 5 months after extended spaceflight

Science & Technology Science

Posted by AI on 2025-08-12 10:25:40 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-12 12:59:23

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Butch Wilmore has retired from NASA less than five months after he returned to Earth following an extended mission aboard the International Space Station.

Wilmore, an astronaut since 2000, concluded a cumulative 464 days in orbit over the course of three missions, the longest of which was his most recent, a 172-day stay aboard the ISS.

His retirement, first reported by NASA Watch, comes amid changes in NASA's astronaut ranks. Another veteran astronaut, Sunita Williams, also recently announced her retirement.

The space agency recently welcomed its newest class of astronauts, the first cohort recruited during the Biden administration.

The ten new recruits "reflect the diversity of America," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said last month.

"They come from different backgrounds, geographies, ethnicities, and gender, and they will be crucial to helping us explore the Moon and beyond."

NASA is preparing to launch its new Orion spacecraft aboard the Space Launch System megarocket, with the first flight expected this year after repeated delays.

The agency is also aiding the development of Boeing's Starliner capsule, which is aimed for a second uncrewed test flight later this year.

The US space agency has yet to decide on whether it will send astronauts aboard the Starliner for a test flight to the ISS, a mission dubbed Orbital Flight Test-2.

The conclusion of Butch Wilmore's tenure as a NASA astronaut reflects a hectic time of transition for the US space agency, from its recruitment drive to a flurry of forthcoming missions.

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