NASA astronaut and retired Navy pilot Barry Wilmore made a surprise visit to students at Meadowland Elementary School in Sterling on Wednesday morning, sharing stories of his unexpectedly long stay on the International Space Station last year.
was one of two astronauts aboard a Boeing Crew Flight Test that launched to the ISS in June 2024. The mission was expected to last eight days, but after the capsule’s thrusters malfunctioned, Wilmore and Suni Williams extended their stay to 286 days.
Wilmore, a Tennessee native, is visiting the area to be honored with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s 2026 Michael Collins Trophy for Current Achievement, along with Williams…