By MARCIA DUNN
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Considered one of NASA’s two beforehand caught astronauts has retired from the house company, lower than 5 months after his unexpectedly lengthy spaceflight got here to an finish.
NASA introduced Butch Wilmore’s departure on Wednesday.
Wilmore and Suni Williams launched final summer season as take a look at pilots on Boeing’s first astronaut flight. What ought to have been a weeklong journey to the Worldwide Area Station was a keep of greater than 9 months due to Boeing’s malfunctioning Starliner. Starliner got here again empty, and Wilmore and Williams returned to Earth in March with SpaceX.
Wilmore, 62, had already retired from the Navy. Williams, 59, additionally a retired Navy captain, continues to be with NASA. She joined Second Woman Usha Vance at Johnson Area Heart in Houston earlier this week, participating in a summer season studying problem for schoolchildren.
Chosen as an astronaut in 2000, Wilmore logged 464 days in orbit over three missions. His remaining spaceflight made up practically two-thirds of that whole: 286 days.
“All through his profession, Butch has exemplified the technical excellence of what’s required of an astronaut,” NASA’s chief astronaut Joe Acaba stated in a press release. “As he steps into this new chapter, that very same dedication will little doubt proceed to indicate in no matter he decides to do subsequent.”
The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives help from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Division of Science Training and the Robert Wooden Johnson Basis. The AP is solely accountable for all content material.
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