Astronaut Butch Wilmore retires from NASA a number of months after prolonged spaceflight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — One of NASA’s two beforehand caught astronauts has retired from the area company, lower than 5 months after his unexpectedly lengthy spaceflight got here to an finish.

NASA introduced Butch Wilmore’s departure on Wednesday.

WATCH: Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore on their longer than anticipated keep in area

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 International Space Station changed into 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 Lady Usha Vance at Johnson Space Center in Houston earlier this week, collaborating in a summer season studying problem for schoolchildren.

Selected as an astronaut in 2000, Wilmore logged 464 days in orbit over three missions. His remaining spaceflight made up practically two-thirds of that complete: 286 days.

“Throughout his career, Butch has exemplified the technical excellence of what is required of an astronaut,” NASA’s chief astronaut Joe Acaba mentioned in a press release. “As he steps into this new chapter, that same dedication will no doubt continue to show in whatever he decides to do next.”

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