From left, NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore and family pose for a photo with Billy Stover and family.
Photo credit: Billy Stover

As NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore launches aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station Monday, May 6 on its first crewed flight, one of his best friends will have played a key role in getting him there. 

Billy Stover, chief safety officer for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and Wilmore have been friends for more than 40 years. The pair’s friendship began in the 1980s at Tennessee Tech University on the football field. 

“We would do weight training and we would get paired up,” said Stover. “If he did 50 sit-ups, I had to do 55. Or we would see how many sit-ups we could get done in 30 seconds or vice versa – we were not kind to each other.” 

As a representative in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance’s technical authority, Stover oversees coordination and integration within NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, enacting quality processes and conducting risk analysis to ensure the safety of crews to and from low Earth orbit. 

Wilmore and NASA astronaut Suni Williams will fly Starliner, lifting off aboard United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, for about a one week stay aboard the space station, in support of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test

Stover says he gets goosebumps thinking about the years of work and excitement that have gone into the upcoming crew flight test launch. 

“I will tell you that I’m a little bit calmer than I have been for probably the past two years,” Stover said. “The team has been amazing in working through each challenge and test anomalies to get us to the right place to execute the launch. What we do every single day makes history.” 

Both men briefly lost touch after college when their careers took them in different directions, as Wilmore became a Navy pilot and Stover pursued engineering. In 2002, Stover ran into Wilmore walking out of the Launch Control Center during a space shuttle launch campaign at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and reconnected. 

Since then, Stover and Wilmore find the opportunity to speak weekly or as often as they can – even if one of them happens to be off planet. In 2014, Wilmore made time to call Stover at Christmas while aboard the space station for Expedition 41. 

“On my answering machine was a message from Barry calling me from the space station to wish me and my family a ‘Merry Christmas.’” Stover said. “I saved that message for three years. How many people get a call from space?” 

When Wilmore received the 2018 Theodore Roosevelt award at the NCAA Awards Presentation, the association’s highest honor exemplifying the ideals of college sports, Stover attended. Former astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn, astronaut Sally Ride, and flight director Christopher C. Kraft Jr. also received the award. 

“He interjected me in his acceptance speech, which was really special,” Stover said. “We’re like brothers.” 

Billy Stover and Butch Wilmore pose during Second from left, Billy Stover poses next to Butch Wilmore, middle, during Theodore Roosevelt award ceremony in January 2018
Second from left, Billy Stover and attendees pose next to Barry “Butch” Wilmore, middle, during Theodore Roosevelt award ceremony in January 2018.
Photo credit: Billy Stover

Their 40-year friendship expanded beyond football and space. Now with a son in the Navy, Stover says that Wilmore is more than a friend; he’s also a mentor. 

“We both have a wife and two kids, similar backgrounds, and values on how we manage ourselves,” Stover said. “Barry’s turned into a great mentor for my oldest son, who’s an officer in the Navy.” Wilmore is a retired U.S. Navy captain. 

Astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore and family pose with Billy Stover and family during a visit to a Florida theme park.
From left, NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore and family pose with Billy Stover and family during a visit to a Florida theme park.
Photo credit: Billy Stover

Both men have a love for theme parks and frequently plan trips to them. In fact, Stover’s own travel plans will take him away from Florida and he won’t see NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test launch. Instead, he’ll be on a transatlantic cruise that was booked more than a year ago. 

“It’s a weird feeling that I’m not going to be here physically,” Stover said. “Godspeed to him and Suni. I’m always here for them.” 

Stover and Wilmore no longer use that competitive spirit against each other but still work out from time to time. 

“In his position, he’s a lot more disciplined and in better condition than me, but now he’s nice about it,” Stover said.  

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is working with the American aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil to the International Space Station. This innovative approach is helping the agency maintain a human presence in low Earth orbit and enable exploration to the Moon in preparation for Mars for the benefit of humanity. 

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/kennedy/nasa-mission-strengthens-40-year-friendship/


December 2024
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  

About Us

Welcome to encircle News! We are a cutting-edge technology news company that is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in everything tech. From automobiles to drones, software to hardware, we’ve got you covered.

At encircle News, we believe that technology is more than just a tool, it’s a way of life. And we’re here to help you stay on top of all the latest trends and developments in this ever-evolving field. We know that technology is constantly changing, and that can be overwhelming, but we’re here to make it easy for you to keep up.

We’re a team of tech enthusiasts who are passionate about everything tech and love to share our knowledge with others. We believe that technology should be accessible to everyone, and we’re here to make sure it is. Our mission is to provide you with fun, engaging, and informative content that helps you to understand and embrace the latest technologies.

From the newest cars on the road to the latest drones taking to the skies, we’ve got you covered. We also dive deep into the world of software and hardware, bringing you the latest updates on everything from operating systems to processors.

So whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a business professional, or just someone who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in technology, encircle News is the place for you. Join us on this exciting journey and be a part of shaping the future.

Podcasts

TWiT 1011: The Year in Review – A Look at the Top Stories of 2024 This Week in Tech (Audio)

What's behind the tech industry's mass layoffs in 2024? : NPR Rabbit R1 AI Assistant: Price, Specs, Release Date | WIRED Stealing everything you've ever typed or viewed on your own Windows PC is now possible with two lines of code — inside the Copilot+ Recall disaster. Microsoft delays Recall after security concerns, and asks Windows Insiders for help The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Architecture Deep Dive: Getting To Know Oryon and Adreno X1 Elon Musk: First Human Receives Neuralink Brain Chip Apple hit with €1.8bn fine for breaking EU law over music streaming Bluesky emerges The hidden high cost of return-to-office mandates Apple's Car Was Doomed by Its Lofty Ambitions to Outdo Tesla SpaceX pulls off unprecedented feat, grabs descending rocket with mechanical arms U.S. versus Apple: A first reaction Google Says It Won't Force Gemini on Partners in Antitrust Remedy Proposal U.S. Accuses Chinese Hackers of Targeting Critical Infrastructure in America U.S. Agency Warns Employees About Phone Use Amid Ongoing China Hack AT&T says criminals stole phone records of 'nearly all' customers in new data breach National Public Data confirms breach exposing Social Security numbers Schools Want to Ban Phones. Parents Say No. New York passes legislation that would ban 'addictive' social media algorithms for kids GPT-4o (omni) + new "Her"-style AI assistant (it's nuts) Google emissions jump nearly 50% over five years as AI use surges Trump proposes strategic national crypto stockpile at Bitcoin Conference Ten additional US states join DOJ antitrust lawsuit looking to break up Live Nation and TicketmasterThe Internet Archive just lost its appeal over ebook lending Hezbollah Pagers Explode in Apparent Attack Across Lebanon OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in largest VC round ever Painting by A.I.-Powered Robot Sells for $1.1 Million Netflix's Live Mike Tyson Vs. Jake Paul Fight Battling Sound & Streaming Glitches In Lead-Up To Main Event Infowars Sale to The Onion Rejected by Federal Bankruptcy Judge Supreme Court agrees to hear challenge to TikTok ban So You Want to Solve the NJ Drone Mystery? Our Expert Has Some Ideas Beeper's push for iMessage on Android is really over The Quiet Death of Ello's Big Dreams Japan finally ends mandatory form submission on floppy disks We'll Miss You: Pioneering instant messaging program ICQ is finally shutting down after nearly 30 years Spotify is going to break every Car Thing gadget it ever sold Game Informer to Shut Down After 33 Years In Memoriam Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, Richard Campbell, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: bitwarden.com/twit
  1. TWiT 1011: The Year in Review – A Look at the Top Stories of 2024
  2. TWiT 1010: The Densest State in the US – TikTok Ban, Drones Over Jersey, GM Quits Robotaxis
  3. TWiT 1009: Andy Giveth & Bill Taketh Away – Trump's Tech Titans, Crypto Boom, TikTok's US Ban, Intel CEO Exits
  4. TWiT 1008: Internet Legal – Australia's Social Media Ban for Kids, Smart Home Nightmare, Bluesky's Ascent
  5. TWiT 1007: All the Hotdogs in the World – China's "Salt Typhoon" Hack, Google on the Chopping Block, Recall AI