Barry "Butch" Wilmore on 286 Days in Space and the Starliner Mission episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 30, 2026 · 25 MIN

Barry "Butch" Wilmore on 286 Days in Space and the Starliner Mission

from Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews · host Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews

Butch Wilmore, retired NASA astronaut, US Navy test pilot, and one of only two people to have flown five different spacecraft, boarded Boeing's Starliner for what was supposed to be an eight-day test mission to the International Space Station. It lasted 286 days. His new book, Stuck: An Astronaut's Hope Through the Unexpected, tells the full story, and he opens up here about what he knew before the mission even launched, the thruster failures that changed everything, and how the contentment Paul wrote about from a prison cell turned out to be exactly what he needed 250 miles above Earth. Space exploration, unshakable faith, and the hope that holds when you cannot come home: Butch walks through the moment he realized they likely would not return on Starliner, why he privately told his wife and daughters a month before NASA made the official call, and what it looks like to trust God when your eight-day mission becomes nine and a half months. He also shares why he believes science and faith are not in conflict, what the Aurora Borealis from space reveals about God's protection of our planet, and why after circling Earth 7,424 times, he is more convinced than ever that this world was made by design. Highlights Why Butch told Boeing executives before launch that the thrusters and valves were his biggest concern, and how that proved exactly right The moment he realized mid-docking that they likely would not return on Starliner, and why he kept it to himself at first What Philippians 4 contentment actually looks like when you are stuck in space with no return date Seeing the Aurora Borealis from orbit and why it reflects God's deliberate protection of Earth Why he believes the creator of science cannot be in conflict with science, and how Satan has deceived people into thinking otherwise What launch, reentry, and all three landing types feel like, and why he compares the Dragon capsule to a Volkswagen Beetle His friendship with Artemis 2 pilot Victor Glover and why neither of them will shy away from their faith when asked Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Butch Wilmore: https://www.butchwilmore.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astro_butch 📖 Book: Stuck in Space: An Astronaut's Hope Through the Unexpected   Take Our Newsletter Survey! 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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Barry "Butch" Wilmore on 286 Days in Space and the Starliner Mission

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This episode was published on April 30, 2026.

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Butch Wilmore, retired NASA astronaut, US Navy test pilot, and one of only two people to have flown five different spacecraft, boarded Boeing's Starliner for what was supposed to be an eight-day test mission to the International Space Station. It...

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