Pictured above – Barry “Butch” Wilmore wears a Tennessee Tech hat during his nine month stay aboard the International Space Station. Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams returned to Earth March 18.
Wilmore is a two-time graduate of Tech’s College of Engineering and former Golden Eagle football player
Tennessee Tech University celebrated the return to Earth of its trustee, alumnus and NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore following a more-than-nine-month stay at the International Space Station.
Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams first set out for the ISS in June 2024 aboard the Boeing Starliner on what was originally an eight-day mission. The astronauts’ time in space was extended several times before returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham remained in contact with Wilmore throughout the mission and released the below statement following Wilmore’s reentry off the coast of Florida this afternoon:
The entire Tennessee Tech community celebrates the safe return of our trustee, alumnus, friend and hero, Barry “Butch” Wilmore.
Over the last nine months, Barry has shown the world the strength and tenacity that our campus has witnessed up close over many years. His faith sustained him through unexpected challenges and brought him to this moment. He has made all of us at his alma mater enormously proud.
With this historic mission, Barry has not only further cemented his place in the history of Tennessee Tech, but also in the history of spaceflight.
Today, we rejoice with Barry’s family who will soon get their long-awaited reunion with their husband, father, brother and son – and we look forward to Barry’s return to this campus in the coming months, where we are already planning ways to honor his achievement and remind him of all he means to his fellow Golden Eagles.
Wilmore is a two-time graduate of Tech’s College of Engineering and former Golden Eagle football player who has served on the university’s board of trustees since 2017. During his extended stay aboard the ISS, Wilmore participated in two video chats with the Tech community, one June 11 with the children of Tech faculty and staff and one Nov. 5 with current Tech students.
Wilmore received an honorary doctorate from Tech in 2012, received the university’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2010 and was inducted into Tech’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. His term on the university’s board of trustees lasts until 2026.
Photo via Tennessee Tech.
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