'Stuck in space' Nasa astronaut Butch Wilmore retires

One of the two Nasa astronauts who came back to Earth earlier this year after being 'stuck' in space, has decided to retire.

Butch Wilmore's announcement comes less than five months after his return from the International Space Station (ISS).

Over his 25-year career at the US space agency, he flew in four different spacecrafts, took part in five spacewalks and spent a total of 464 days in space.

In a statement, Nasa paid tribute to Mr Wilmore and thank him for his long service.

What's been announced?

Butch Wilmore unexpectedly spent nine months in space with fellow crew member Suni Williams

Mr Wilmore first served as a test pilot before being selected by Nasa to become an astronaut in 2000.

During his time at NASA, Wilmore completed three missions launching aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, Roscosmos Soyuz, and Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station.

His last mission was taking part in the first crewed test flight of the Starliner spacecraft with fellow Nasa astronaut Suni Williams last year.

However, the capsule suffered technical problems, resulting in the pair staying in space for a much longer time than planned.

After Mr Wilmore's retirement was announced, Stephen Koerner, from Nasa's Johnson Space Center, thanked him for his dedication to space exploration.

"His lasting legacy of fortitude will continue to impact and inspire the Johnson workforce, future explorers, and the nation for generations," he said.

How did Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams get 'stuck in space'?

Nasa astronauts Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Sunita Williams set off from Florida to the International Space Station on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on 5 June 2024.

As part of their mission, they were only meant to stay in space for around a week.

However, their craft developed a number of issues including leaks - meaning they were unable to head back as planned.

Their return trip was delayed a number of times and in the end, the pair spent 286 days in space.

In March 2025, they finally splashed back down to Earth in a Space X dragon capsule off the coast of Florida.