Astronaut Butch Wilmore retires from NASA after spending extended 9 months in space
Wilmore, 62, along with Williams, piloted the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024 for a 8-day mission and gained worldwide traction when their spacecraft experienced several technical issues, including thruster outages and gas leaks.
Wilmore and Williams stayed at the ISS for over nine months as NASA and Boeing attempted to investigate what went wrong in their spacecraft and whether Starliner would be safe to carry astronauts home.
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.
Please join us in congratulating Butch on his retirement, and thanking him for his dedicated service to the agency and… pic.twitter.com/8m8Kc9kcMt
— NASA Space Operations (@NASASpaceOps) August 6, 2025
The space agency then decided that bringing the astronaut duo via the Boeing Starliner would be risky and announced in August last year that Williams and Wilmore would join the next International Space Station crew rotation along with two other astronauts on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission and will be aboard the ISS for some additional months.
Wilmore and Williams returned to Earth in March after over nine months' stay in space. However, both the astronauts have maintained that they were prepared for their extended stay in space, saying they understood the risks and uncertainty associated with test flying a spacecraft, CNN reported.
On his announcement to retire, Butch Wilmore said 'From my earliest days, I have been captivated by the marvels of creation, looking upward with insatiable curiosity,' according to a NASA news release.
'This curiosity propelled me into the skies and eventually to space, where the magnificence of the cosmos mirrored the glory of its creator in ways words can scarcely convey,' Wilmore added.
Steve Koerner, acting head of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, said 'Wilmore's commitment to NASA's mission and dedication to human space exploration is truly exemplary.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Lunar colonies, humans walking around and...: What Moon will look like in 2070; NASA preparing to...
(Representational Image/AI-generated) NASA Moon Mission: Imagine the year 2070, there are small futuristic dome-shaped homes in lunar colonies stretching for as long as the eye can see, humans walking around on the lunar surface and going about their daily business as if they were on their home planet. Sounds like a science fiction story? Well, all this may become a reality in the near future, if NASA and other top global space agencies have their way in the new race to the Moon. Sean Duffy, who was recently appointed as the interim administrator of NASA by US President Donald Trump, announced that the space agency plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030, which will power a proposed space station and a lunar colony full of astronauts on the lunar surface under the Artemis II and Artemis III missions. What is NASA's plan? According to Duffy, the proposed nuclear reactor will generate about 100 kilowatts of electricity, enough to simultaneously power about 80 US homes for a year. Project head will be appointed within the next 30 days and NASA will invite proposals from private players like Elon Musk-led SpaceX within 60 days, the acting NASA chief said, adding that launch preparations will be completed by 2029. NASA announcement comes amid similar plans by Russia and China to build similar facilities on the moon within the same timeframe, thus triggering a new race to the moon. 'We need to move fast, or else they (China and Russia), will leave us behind and create a 'no entry zone' on the moon,' Duffy said. Why build a nuclear power plant on the moon? NASA plan to build a lunar colony need a massive amount of power which cannot be generated using solar panels because either side of the moon is periodically bathed in sunlight for two weeks, and then drenched in darkness for the next two. Thus, solar power would not be enough to power a lunar colony of about a dozen astronauts and their equipment. In this scenario, a nuclear reactor is the most cost-friendly and efficient option to power such a mammoth project that requires gargantuan amounts of electricity. How much will NASA's mission cost? Initially, NASA has asked for $350 million to kickstart the Artemis mission in 2026, and $500 million per year from 2027, and though the actual mission cost is still being estimated, experts believe that building a nuclear reactor on the moon is likely to cost over $100 billion. Notably, apart from the United States, its geopolitical rivals– China and Russia– are also in the moon race, while India also has major plans for a manned mission to the lunar world in the future.
India.com
3 hours ago
- India.com
Planning to pursue a degree in Mathematics? Here are Top 10 US Universities you should consider, names are...
Mathematics is frequently described as the language of the universe. Well, it is a beautiful, logical system that allows us to comprehend the world around us. From counting and measuring to dealing with complex calculations, mathematics is vital to every aspect of our daily lives. Math sharpens our brains, teaches clear reasoning, and is the pathway to infinite discoveries in the realms of science, technology, and an unseen world! Whether it's basic addition or multivariate calculus, math challenges us to think critically and creatively, so we see it as a tool for learning and innovation! Well, the US has produced several greatest mathematicians over the years. Some of them are Benjamin Peirce(commonly known as the father of American mathematics), and Eliakim Hastings Moore. Many students love studying mathematics. However, they often face the difficulty of choosing a college. For those of you looking for a quality education in mathematics, the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 is a good place to start your research. The 2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject features 55 individual subjects across five broad subject areas. This year's rankings are our biggest yet, with 171 institutions included this year who were not present in the 2024 edition. Several subjects, including medicine, computer science and information systems, and materials science, now feature more ranked institutions than ever before. The QS ranks universities based on their overall success in teaching and research, providing insight into where to conduct your formerly theoretical study of advanced mathematics or applied research in mathematics. The following list of universities will help students determine where to study. Rank 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge US Rank 2. Harvard University, Cambridge US Rank 5 (as per QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) Stanford University, Stanford, US Rank 6( QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) University of California, Berkeley (UCB) Rank 7( QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) Princeton University Rank 12( QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) Carnegie Mellon University Rank = 13( QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Rank 15 (as per QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) New York University (NYU) Rank = 16 (as per QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Rank 21(as per QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) Columbia University It is to be noted that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been ranked as the best institute in the world for the 13th consecutive year.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
Why August's Moon Is Called Sturgeon Moon: Know Its Significance
The Sturgeon Full Moon is a traditional name given to August's full moon. The name represents the abundance of sturgeon fish in the Great Lakes region of North America during this time of year, according to TimeandDate. The lake sturgeon is a remarkable fish which can live up to 55 years (males) or 150 years (females). It can grow over 2 meters long and weigh around 90 kg. "The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer and an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time, the lake sturgeon was quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today," according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. The Center for Native American Studies stated that it's called the Wild Rice Moon by the Anishinaabe people. According to NASA, it is known as the Green Corn and Grain Moon elsewhere in North America. This full moon is also known as the Corn Moon, Lynx Moon or Lightning Moon in different cultures. In Hindu traditions, it marks the festival of Raksha Bandhan, which celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sturgeon Moon 2025 Facts Sturgeon Moon 2025 Date and Visibility: This year, the Sturgeon Moon will peak on August 9 at 07:54 UTC. The Moon will appear full for about three days, from August 8 to August 10. It will be visible in the eastern sky at sunset and in the western sky before sunrise. Sturgeon Moon 2025 Planetary Alignment: On August 9, Venus and Jupiter will appear close together in the eastern pre-dawn sky, creating a rare celestial event. The Moon will make a close pass to Saturn and Neptune on August 12, although only Saturn will be visible to the naked eye. Saturn will rise at 9:56 pm (EDT) on August 8 and will be visible in the constellation Pisces.
