NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore has announced his retirement after 25 years of service. His departure comes less than five months after he completed an unexpectedly long spaceflight. NASA confirmed Wilmore's retirement on Wednesday.

Wilmore, along with fellow astronaut Suni Williams, launched last summer as test pilots for Boeing's first crewed flight. The mission, initially planned as a weeklong trip to the International Space Station, extended to over nine months due to issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The Starliner returned empty, while Wilmore and Williams returned to Earth in March aboard a SpaceX vehicle.

At 62 years old, Wilmore had previously retired from the Navy. Williams, 59, remains with NASA and recently participated in a summer reading challenge at the Johnson Space Center in Houston alongside Second Lady Usha Vance.

Selected as an astronaut in 2000, Wilmore has logged a total of 464 days in space across three missions. His final mission accounted for nearly two-thirds of that time, totaling 286 days.

Joe Acaba, NASA's chief astronaut, praised Wilmore's career, stating, "Throughout his career, Butch has exemplified the technical excellence of what is required of an astronaut. As he steps into this new chapter, that same dedication will no doubt continue to show in whatever he decides to do next."

Wilmore's career includes flights on four different spacecraft: the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2009, the Roscosmos Soyuz in 2014, the Boeing Starliner in 2024, and the SpaceX Dragon. He has also completed five spacewalks, totaling 32 hours outside the International Space Station.

Steve Koerner, acting director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, highlighted Wilmore's commitment to human space exploration. "Butch’s commitment to NASA’s mission and dedication to human space exploration is truly exemplary. His lasting legacy of fortitude will continue to impact and inspire the Johnson workforce, future explorers, and the nation for generations."

Wilmore's most recent mission aboard Boeing's Starliner on June 5, 2024, marked a significant milestone as the first crewed flight test. During this mission, he and his team conducted important tasks, including removing a radio frequency group antenna assembly and collecting samples from the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock.

Reflecting on his career, Wilmore expressed his lifelong fascination with space. "From my earliest days, I have been captivated by the marvels of creation, looking upward with an insatiable curiosity. 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's retirement marks the conclusion of an era for NASA, characterized by cross-platform astronaut missions and the early validation of commercial spaceflight.