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Killeen-born astronaut retires after 22 years at NASA

Shane Kimbrough
Posted at 12:04 PM, Aug 01, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-02 12:34:26-04

Killeen-born astronaut Shane Kimbrough officially retired from NASA on Sunday, marking an end to his 22-year career with the agency.

Kimbrough was a part of three spaceflight missions, including a 199-day trip to the International Space Station in 2021. His first trip took place in 2008, a part of the STS-126 Endeavour mission.

He said during his awaiting his first launch into space, he felt at peace.

"I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be in life," he said. "I had worked many, many years to be at that exact moment."

He currently holds a rank for spending fifth most time in space by a NASA astronaut, spending 388 days in space total.

Kimbrough graduated from West Point and served in the U.S. Army as a colonel. During his time in the Army, Kimbrough said his childhood dream was re-activated.

"I kinda kept this dream of being an astronaut. That's all I wanted to do," he said."

Kimbrough was born in Killeen to a military family. His father was stationed at Fort Hood at the time.

After his retirement on Sunday, Kimbrough plans to step into the private sector, able to spend more time with his family.

"Make sure you're respecting people along the way, you're not thinking you know everything. Be humble," Kimbrough advised young people looking to follow their passions.