# Barry E. Wilmore

> American astronaut

**Wikidata**: [Q554409](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q554409)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Wilmore)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/barry-e-wilmore

## Summary

Barry E. Wilmore is an American astronaut, naval officer, engineer, and test pilot who has served as a crew member of NASA spacecraft. Also known by his nickname "Butch," Wilmore is a decorated fighter pilot and graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School who has been recognized with multiple high-level military and civilian honors, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

## Biography

- **Born:** Not available in source material
- **Nationality:** United States
- **Education:** Tennessee Technological University; United States Naval Test Pilot School
- **Known for:** Serving as an astronaut, naval aviator, fighter pilot, test pilot, and engineer
- **Employer(s):** National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); United States Navy
- **Field(s):** Spaceflight, aeronautical engineering, military aviation, naval service

## Contributions

Barry E. Wilmore has contributed to the United States through combined military and civilian aerospace service. As a naval officer, he served as a fighter pilot trained in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, and later as a test pilot evaluating and certifying the performance of new or modified aircraft during test flights. As a NASA astronaut, he commanded, piloted, and served as a crew member aboard spacecraft. His career bridges combat aviation, experimental flight testing, and human spaceflight — disciplines that each require advanced engineering knowledge and operational precision. He is affiliated with Tennessee Technological University, his alma mater, and the United States Naval Test Pilot School, where he received post-graduate professional education in test piloting.

## FAQs

**What military and NASA awards has Barry E. Wilmore received?**
Wilmore has earned the Air Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the NASA Space Flight Medal. He is also a recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Award, an American collegiate athletics honor.

**What is Barry E. Wilmore's educational background?**
Wilmore attended Tennessee Technological University and the United States Naval Test Pilot School, a post-graduate professional education establishment operated in the United States.

**What roles has Barry E. Wilmore held in his career?**
He has served as a commissioned naval officer, a fighter pilot, a test pilot, an engineer, and a NASA astronaut responsible for commanding, piloting, or crewing spacecraft.

**Why is he called "Butch" Wilmore?**
"Butch" is one of his known aliases, alongside his full name Barry Eugene Wilmore and the shortened Barry Wilmore.

## Why They Matter

Barry E. Wilmore represents a rare intersection of military combat aviation, experimental test piloting, and human space exploration. His career path — from naval fighter pilot to test pilot to astronaut — follows one of the most demanding professional trajectories in the United States. Test pilots play a critical role in advancing aviation safety and technology by certifying aircraft performance under extreme conditions, and astronauts extend that work into spaceflight. Wilmore's recognition with both military decorations (Legion of Merit, Air Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal) and NASA's highest honors (Distinguished Service Medal, Space Flight Medal) reflects contributions across both domains. The breadth of his awards signals sustained excellence over a long career spanning combat operations, aeronautical research, and orbital missions.

## Notable For

- Serving as a NASA astronaut, commanding, piloting, and crewing spacecraft
- Career as a United States naval officer and fighter pilot trained in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat
- Work as a test pilot, evaluating and certifying aircraft performance in experimental flight
- Recipient of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- Recipient of the Legion of Merit
- Recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal
- Recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Recipient of the Air Medal
- Recipient of the NASA Space Flight Medal
- Recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Award for collegiate athletics
- Education at Tennessee Technological University
- Post-graduate training at the United States Naval Test Pilot School

## Body

### Military Career

Barry E. Wilmore serves as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy. His naval career encompasses multiple aviation specialties. As a fighter pilot, he was trained to engage in air-to-air combat and air-to-ground combat operations. He advanced into test piloting — a role in which aviators fly new or modified aircraft to evaluate and certify performance during test flights. This function is essential to confirming the safety and capability of aircraft before they enter broader service. His training at the United States Naval Test Pilot School, a post-graduate professional education establishment founded in 1945, provided the specialized knowledge required for this work.

### NASA Career

Wilmore is affiliated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the American space and aeronautics agency established in 1958. As an astronaut, his role involves commanding, piloting, or serving as a crew member of a spacecraft. NASA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., employs approximately 17,300 to 18,000 people and operates across space exploration and aeronautics research. Wilmore's dual identity as both a naval aviator and a NASA astronaut places him among the ranks of military officers who have transitioned between atmospheric and spaceflight operations.

### Education

Wilmore is affiliated with Tennessee Technological University, a university founded in 1915 in the United States with approximately 1,356 employees. He also attended the United States Naval Test Pilot School, which provides post-graduate-level professional education in test flight operations. These two institutions form the educational foundation of his career in engineering and aviation.

### Awards and Recognition

Wilmore's decorations span military, spaceflight, and athletic domains:

- **NASA Distinguished Service Medal** — NASA's highest award, established in 1959
- **NASA Space Flight Medal** — awarded for spaceflight participation, established in 1981
- **Legion of Merit** — a major military award of the United States Armed Forces, established in 1942
- **Defense Superior Service Medal** — a senior military decoration of the United States Armed Forces, established in 1976
- **Defense Meritorious Service Medal** — a United States military award, established in 1977
- **Air Medal** — a military decoration of the United States Military, established in 1942
- **Theodore Roosevelt Award** — an American collegiate athletics award, established in 1967

### Professional Identity

Wilmore is known by multiple names and aliases: Barry Eugene Wilmore (full name), Barry Wilmore, and Butch Wilmore. He is identified as an American astronaut and is recognized as a human entity with a Wikipedia presence under the title "Barry Wilmore" and 30 sitelinks across various language editions and database entries.

## References

1. [Station Commander Celebrates Birthday in Orbit. 2014](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2014/12/29/station-commander-celebrates-birthday-in-orbit/)
2. [Barry “Butch” E. Wilmore](https://www.nasa.gov/people/barry-butch-e-wilmore/)
3. [Source](https://searchpub.nssc.nasa.gov/servlet/sm.web.Fetch/Agency_Awards_Historical_Recipient_List.pdf?rhid=1000&did=2120817&type=released)
4. [Erste Kosmonautin nach knapp 20 Jahren im Weltall. 2014](https://www.diepresse.com/3875677/erste-kosmonautin-nach-knapp-20-jahren-im-weltall)
5. [NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/boeing-crewflighttest/)
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. [Source](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-updates-astronaut-assignments-for-boeing-starliner-test-flight/)
8. [NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Splashes Down Off Coast of Florida. 2025](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/crew-9/)