NASA: Astronauts: Barry "Butch" Wilmore
Following his official retirement from NASA on July 25, 2025, Barry "Butch" Wilmore transitioned into a public-facing career centered on writing, academic leadership, and motivational speaking. [1, 2, 3]
Writing and Author Career
Wilmore has channeled his intensive military and spaceflight experiences into writing, emphasizing how leadership and spiritual resolve guide professionals through unexpected crises. [4]
Stuck in Space: An Astronaut's Hope Through the Unexpected (Published March 17, 2026): This is Wilmore's flagship memoir. He originally began drafting chapters prior to the Starliner flight as a personal journal for his daughters to detail his life before they were born. During his unexpected nine-month extension on the ISS, he continued writing chapter after chapter as a way to soothe and process the high-stakes environment. The book chronicles his Navy combat missions, test pilot close-calls, the sudden thruster failures aboard Boeing's Starliner, and his reliance on faith when dealing with the sudden prospect of isolation and danger.
Life's Emergency Procedures: A Pocket Checklist: Drawing directly from his extensive background as a U.S. Navy test pilot and flight commander, this guide adapts the high-reliability safety protocols of aviation into practical framework checklists for personal and professional crisis management. [3, 4, 5, 6]
Academic Leadership & Board Positions
Wilmore returned to his roots to help shape future engineering and aerospace professionals in his home state of Tennessee. [1]
- Tennessee Tech University Board of Trustees: As a distinguished alumnus, Wilmore serves heavily in his role on the university's governing board. His term on the board continues through 2026, where he advocates for advanced STEM initiatives and military-to-civilian education pathways. [1]
- University Honors: For his career achievements and ongoing commitment to the student body, Tennessee Tech presented him with the Order of the Eagle Award, the university's highest individual honor. [1]
Public Speaking and Military Advisory
- Pentagon Advisory: In March 2026, Wilmore presented to personnel at the Pentagon regarding rigorous quality control and technical standards. He used the structural lessons learned from the Starliner evaluation to advocate for tighter engineering baselines across joint Navy and NASA operations. [6, 7, 8]
- Media & Keynotes: Wilmore frequently speaks on media platforms—such as NewsNation and executive leadership summits—focusing on compartmentalizing fear, navigating rapid workplace transitions, and managing team dynamics through unpredictable scheduling delays. [3, 5, 9, 10]
Would you like to know more about the specific themes of faith he discusses in his memoir, or look into the upcoming public book-signing events on his schedule?
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Astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore served as the ascent and entry CAPCOM (capsule communicator) for STS-135 on July 8–21, 2011, which was the historic final flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis and the conclusion of NASA's 30-year Space Shuttle program. He was the last person to hold this role simply because it was the final mission of the program. [1, 2, 3]
Role in the Final Mission
- Ascent and Entry Duties: Wilmore managed critical voice communications from Mission Control in Houston during the shuttle's launch and landing phases. [1, 2]
- Tradition of Pilots: NASA traditionally assigned experienced shuttle pilots to the ascent and entry CAPCOM seats to handle dynamic flight emergencies expeditiously. [1]
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Following his initial astronaut training, Barry "Butch" Wilmore worked on propulsion systems for the Space Shuttle and led the launch-and-landing support team at Kennedy Space Center before serving as pilot on STS-129. [1, 2, 3]
Technical and Support Duties
- Propulsion Systems: Represented the Astronaut Office regarding Space Shuttle main engines, solid rocket motors, and external tanks.
- Launch and Landing Operations: Led the astronaut support team that traveled to Kennedy Space Center in Florida to assist with flight operations. [1]
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