Astronaut Butch Wilmore leaves NASA after a long mission

• Butch Wilmore has left NASA after a long mission.
• His last mission lasted 286 days, which became a significant part of his career.
• His colleague, Sunil Williams, continues to work at NASA.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida — One of the two NASA astronauts who stayed in space, Butch Wilmore, announced his departure from the agency less than five months after completing his long mission. NASA announced his departure in the middle of the week.

Wilmore and Sunil Williams began their previous summer as test pilots on the first crewed spaceflight of Boeing. Scheduled for this week, the mission to the International Space Station was postponed due to the Starliner spacecraft's issues. Starliner returned without a crew, while Wilmore and Williams returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX vehicle.

Wilmore, 62, previously left the service of the U.S. Navy. Sunil Williams, 59, also a former captain in the U.S. Navy, continues to work at NASA. He was assigned to the second crew of the U.S. Space Agency Johnson Space Center in Houston, participating in a summer reading competition for children.

Selected as an astronaut in 2000, Wilmore spent 464 days in space on three missions. His last flight lasted nearly two-thirds of that time: 286 days.

“Throughout his career, Butch demonstrated technical excellence, essential for an astronaut,” said Joe Akaba, the head of NASA astronauts, in a statement. “As he transitions to this new stage, he will undoubtedly continue to contribute to everything he decides to do next.”

Tags: Technology/Space