Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams docked at the ISS in June 2024
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, in collaboration with NASA, is set to finally bring home the astronauts stuck in space for almost a year, including Tennessee Tech Alumnus Barry Wilmore. Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams docked at the International Space Station in June 2024 where they planned an eight-day stay before beginning the journey home. Soon after, the Boeings Starliner spacecraft had an issue and returned to Earth unmanned in September.
After that, the return date had been in flux as the SpaceX Starliner crew had spent additional time testing the new craft that would be able to bring them home. Wilmore is a distinguished member of Tech’s family and the Upper Cumberland.
“Barry represents the best of our Golden Eagle community and continues to inspire our students, faculty, alumni, and staff as he confronts this latest challenge. Our pride in Barry is matched only by our wishes for his safe return to Earth. We look forward to welcoming him back to his alma mater very soon,” said Tech President Phil Oldham.
A native of Mt. Juliet, Wilmore holds two degrees and an honorary doctorate from Tech. Wilmore is a member of the university’s Sports Hall of Fame (he played football for the school) and was the 2018 recipient of the Teddy Roosevelt Award, the NCAA’s highest honor. Wilmore also received Tech’s 2010 Outstanding Alumni Award for the College of Engineering.
Mission log: bring home those stranded on ISS.
Each astronaut received a medical check before being briefed by SpaceX and NASA, according to SpaceX, and participated in a card game to “eliminate bad luck.” Friday evening, SpaceX’s Crew 10, in collaboration with NASA, launched into space just after 7 p.m. on its Dragon Spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket from the U.S. space agency’s Kennedy Space Center.
Crew 10 includes:
- Commander Anne McClain
- pilot Nichole Ayers
- mission specialist Takuya Onishi
- mission specialist Kirill Peskov
According to NASA, Crew-10 will “perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities aboard the microgravity laboratory.” Wilmore and Williams have completed more than 900 hours of research while on International Space Station, according to reports.
After a two-day “handover period” Wilmore, Williams, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksanr Gorbuno (Hague and Gorbuno arrived at the space station in September) will leave the ISS and head home Saturday at around 11:30 p.m. EST.
Photo courtesy of Tech.
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