Barry Wilmore | |
|---|---|
 Wilmore in 2009 | |
| Born | Barry Eugene Wilmore (1962-12-29)December 29, 1962 (age 62) Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Other names | Butch |
| Education | Tennessee Technological University (BS,MS) University of Tennessee, Knoxville (MS) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain,USN |
Time in space | 464 days, 8 hours, 2 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 18 (2000) |
TotalEVAs | 5 |
Total EVA time | 31 hours, 2 minutes[1] |
| Missions | |
Mission insignia |       |
| Retirement | August 6, 2025[2] |
Barry Eugene "Butch"Wilmore (born December 29, 1962) is a retired AmericanNASAastronaut andUnited States Navytest pilot.[1] He has had fivespaceflights, the first of which was an 11-daySpace Shuttle mission in November 2009, to theInternational Space Station. In total, he spent a total of 464 days off Earth and 32 hours outside of a spacecraft.[3] Wilmore was designated aspilot with five other crew members on Space ShuttleAtlantis for the missionSTS-129. He served as part ofExpedition 41/42 to theInternational Space Station, and on June 5, 2024, returned to the ISS on theBoeing Crew Flight Test, the first crewed mission of theBoeing Starliner. On March 18, 2025, he returned to Earth on theSpaceXDragon capsule with the other crew members ofCrew-9.[4][5][6] The crew that replaced the Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts aboard the ISS arrived on March 16.[7]
Prior to being selected as a NASA astronaut in July 2000, Wilmore was an experienced Navy test pilot. He also participated in the development of theT-45 Goshawk jet trainer.[1]
Wilmore was born inMurfreesboro, Tennessee and raised inMount Juliet by his mother Faye and father Eugene. Wilmore has one sibling, a brother who resides inFranklin, Tennessee. He is married to Deanna Wilmore (née Newport) ofHelenwood, Tennessee, they have two daughters.[1] Wilmore currently lives inHouston, Texas, with his family.[8]
Wilmore self-identifies as aChristian. During a press conference on March 31, 2025, he said that it was vital for him to continuously connect with his faith and church family, and this is why, while in orbit, he continued to regularly attendremote Sunday services streamed from Providence Baptist Church inPasadena, Texas and Grace Baptist Church in Mount Juliet.[9] He serves as anelder at Providence Baptist.[10]
Wilmore graduated fromMount Juliet High School inMount Juliet, Tennessee. Wilmore has received aBachelor of Science and aMaster of Science degree fromTennessee Tech inelectrical engineering, and a Master of Science in Aviation Systems from theUniversity of Tennessee.[1] Wilmore was a member, letterman, and team captain of theTennessee Technological University football team.
Wilmore has over 8,000 hours of flight time and 663 carrier landings, all in tacticaljet aircraft,[1] and is a graduate of theUnited States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS).
During Wilmore's tenure as a fleet Naval officer and pilot, Wilmore completed four operational deployments, flying theA-7E andF/A-18 aircraft from the decks of theaircraft carriersUSS Forrestal (CV-59),USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67),USS Enterprise (CVN-65) andUSS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). He has flown missions in support ofOperations Desert Shield,Desert Storm andSouthern Watch over the skies of Iraq, as well as missions overBosnia in support of United States andNATO interests. Wilmore successfully completed 21 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm while operating from USSJohn F. Kennedy. Wilmore's most recent operational deployment was aboard USSDwight D. Eisenhower with the "Blue Blasters" of Strike Fighter Squadron 34 (VFA-34), an F/A-18 squadron based atNaval Air Station Oceana,Virginia.[1]
As a Navy test pilot, Wilmore participated in all aspects of the initial development of theT-45 jet trainer to include initial carrier landing certification and high angle of attack flight tests. His test tour also included a stint at USNTPS as a systems and fixed wing "Flight Test" instructor. Prior to his selection to NASA, Wilmore was on exchange to the Air Force as a "Flight Test" instructor at theU.S. Air Force Test Pilot School atEdwards Air Force Base,California.[1]
Wilmore was selected as a pilot byNASA in July 2000 and reported for training that August 2000. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, Wilmore was assigned technical duties representing the Astronaut Office on all propulsion systems issues including theSpace Shuttle Main Engines,solid rocket motor,external tank, and also served on the astronaut support team that traveled to theKennedy Space Center,Florida, in support of launch and landing operations.[1]
In 2009, Wilmore piloted theSpace Shuttle Atlantis for theSTS-129 mission to theInternational Space Station.[11]
Wilmore returned to space in September 2014 as a member of theSoyuz TMA-14M long duration International Space Station crew.[12] During this mission, humans manufactured off world for the first time. The International Space Station's 3-D printer, designed and built byMade In Space, Inc., was used to print a tool with a design file transmitted from the ground to the printer. The tool was a ratchet wrench needed by Wilmore, who would have had to wait for the tool to be delivered on the next supply mission from Earth. The wrench was later returned to the ground for analysis and testing, along with the other parts printed in space.
On October 7, 2020, NASA and Boeing announced Wilmore would join astronautsMichael Fincke andNicole Mann for NASA'sBoeing Crew Flight Test (CFT), the inaugural crewed flight of theCST-100 Starliner launching to the International Space Station in 2021.[13] On April 18, 2022, NASA said that it has not finalized which of the cadre of Starliner astronauts, including Wilmore, Fincke, andSunita Williams, would fly on the Crewed Flight Test mission or the firstoperational Starliner mission.[14] On June 16, 2022, NASA confirmed that CFT will be a two-person flight test, consisting of Wilmore and Williams.[15] On June 5, 2024, Starliner was launched successfully to orbit with Williams as the spacecraft's pilot. On June 6, Starliner docked to theISS after over a day in space.[16]
The mission was meant to last eight days, ending with a landing in thesouthwestern United States on June 14. However, the capsule's thrusters malfunctioned as Starliner docked with the ISS. Despite months of testing, NASA felt it was not able to understand why the thrusters malfunctioned and decided that it was too risky to return Wilmore and Williams to Earth aboard Starliner.[17] The Boeing Starliner spacecraft returned uncrewed on September 6, 2024, and landed intact at White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico at 12:01 a.m., September 7, after three months in space docked to the ISS. In December 2024, it was announced that Wilmore and Williams would return toEarth no earlier than late March 2025 on aSpaceXDragon capsule.[5]
On January 30, 2025, Williams and Wilmore were scheduled to begin the station's 274th spacewalk, retrieving hardware from the exterior of the International Space Station.[18]
On March 18, 2025, Williams and Wilmore finally returned to Earth on theSpaceXDragon capsule with the other crew members ofCrew-9.[4][5][19]
On August 6, 2025, NASA announced Wilmore's retirement from the agency.[2][20]
Barry Wilmore’s Personal Decorations Include: The Legion of Merit, The Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Two Navy Meritorious Service Medals, Five Air Medals, Three with Combat ‘V’ designation, Six Navy Commendation Medals, Three of which also hold the Combat ‘V’ designation, The NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Two NASA Space Flight Medals and Two Navy Achievement Medals and numerous Unit decorations. He has also received theAviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) "Distinguished Naval Graduate" award. He is also on the Initial Naval Flight Training "Commodore's List With Distinction". He has also won theU.S. Atlantic Fleet "Light Attack Wing One – Pilot Of The Year" (1991) and U.S. Atlantic Fleet "Strike Fighter Aviator of the Year" (1999). Wilmore is the recipient of theStrike Fighter Wing Atlantic "Scott Speicher Award" for Weapons Employment Excellence (1998). In 2003, Barry Wilmore was inducted to theTennessee Technological University "Sports Hall of Fame".[1]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
| Preceded by | ISS Expedition Commander November 10, 2014, to March 10, 2015 | Succeeded by |
NASA Astronaut Group 17 ← NASA Astronaut Group 18 →NASA Astronaut Group 19 | |||||||
| Pilots | |||||||
| Mission specialists | |||||||
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