Retired NASA Astronaut Butch Wilmore Not Seeking Tennessee Governorship, Fails to Meet Residency Requirements

by Kaitlin Housler | Mar 9, 2026 | Elections, News, Tennessee, The South

Retired NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore, a Middle Tennessee native, will not run in the 2026 Republican primary for Tennessee governor as he fails to meet a constitutional requirement for candidates seeking the office. Wilmore suspended his bid just one day after...

NASA Astronaut Butch Wilmore Takes Steps to Enter Tennessee Governor’s Race

by Kaitlin Housler | Mar 4, 2026 | Elections, News, Tennessee, The South

Barry “Butch” Wilmore, a Middle Tennessee native and recently retired NASA astronaut, is weighing a bid for Tennessee Governor as a Republican, according to the latest candidate filings on the Tennessee Secretary of State website. Wilmore was issued...

NASA Astronaut Butch Wilmore Honored in the Tennessee House of Representatives

by Kaitlin Housler | Apr 17, 2025 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The South

Tennessean and NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore was honored on the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives on Wednesday. Wilmore, who was born in Murfreesboro and grew up in Mt. Juliet, arrived at the International Space Station in June 2024 along with NASA...

SpaceX Dragon Brings Crew-9 Home After Record-Breaking Work in Space

by Christina Botteri | Mar 18, 2025 | National, News, Tech Media, Tennessee, World

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, safely splashed down in the Gulf of America Tuesday, concluding an eventful Crew-9 mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX...

Clint Brewer, Michael Patrick Leahy Praying for Safe Return of NASA Astronauts

by Kaitlin Housler | Mar 18, 2025 | Culture, National, News, Tennessee, The South

Clint Brewer, recovering journalist and Nashville-area public policy expert, and Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and Editor-In-Chief of The Tennessee Star, wished Godspeed to the four astronauts returning to Earth on Tuesday following an unexpected months-long stay at the...

NASA, SpaceX Set New Mission Date to Rescue Astronauts Stranded at Space Station Following Request from President Trump

by Kaitlin Housler | Feb 13, 2025 | National, News, Tennessee, World

Two NASA astronauts who have been stranded at the International Space Station since June are officially scheduled to return home in March following a request from President Donald Trump to billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to expedite plans to bring the astronauts...

Elon Musk Says SpaceX Will Carry Out Mission to ‘Go Get’ Astronauts Stranded at Space Station at Request of President Trump

by Kaitlin Housler | Jan 29, 2025 | National, News, Tech Media, Tennessee

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said his company will carry out a mission at the request of President Donald Trump to bring two NASA astronauts who have been stranded at the International Space Station since June back home. Tuesday evening, Trump announced his request to Musk,...