Terry W. Virts

Terry Wayne Virts Jr. (born December 1, 1967) is a retired NASA astronaut, He was a candidate in the 2026 United States Senate election in Texas and later ran for Texas's 9th congressional district, but withdrew from the former and was eliminated in the primary for the latter.

Background and education Virts was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in Columbia, Maryland. He graduated from Oakland Mills High School in 1985. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics (with a French minor) from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989 and a Master of Science degree in aeronautics from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University in 1997. While at the Air Force Academy, Virts attended the École de l'Air in 1988 on an exchange program.

Military career Virts was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989 and earned his pilot wings at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. He completed basic fighter lead-in training at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico followed by formal training in the F-16 Fighting Falcon with the 56th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

He was then assigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. After Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida in 1992, his squadron was moved to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. He was later assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, and the 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

Virts was selected for test pilot school in 1997 at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Following graduation, he was an experimental test pilot at the F-16 Combined Test Force at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.

NASA career

Virts's NASA career spanned several pivotal roles and space missions. In 2000, Virts was selected as a Space Shuttle pilot by NASA. His career was marked by a series of important technical assignments and mission roles. This historic mission marked the final assembly flight of the International Space Station and delivered the Tranquility module as well as the Cupola. The mission concluded with a safe landing on February 22, 2010.

Virts paid tribute to the late Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed Spock, from space on February 28, 2015. He tweeted an image of himself from the International Space Station, striking the Vulcan salute as the ISS flew over Boston, MA, Nimoy's birthplace.

With the impending departure of Soyuz TMA-14M in March 2015, Virts assumed the role of the commander of the International Space Station, leading Expedition 43. The mission concluded with a successful landing on June 11, 2015, in Kazakhstan.

In August 2016, Virts retired from NASA.

Post-NASA career and politics Following his career at NASA, Virts entered the fields of public speaking, podcast appearances, including creating a podcast "Down To Earth", business consultancy, literature, film-making, and screenwriting.

In 2019, Virts was part of a crew of eight aviation explorers who achieved the fastest circumnavigation of Earth via both geographic poles by airplane. This was accomplished on July 11, 2019, in a time of 46 hours, 40 minutes, and 22 seconds. The accomplishment earned recognition from Guinness World Records and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).

Virts made an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience on December 11, 2020.

In 2022, Virts joined Group Of Humans, a global community of interdisciplinary experts, contributing to their "One Step Further" lunar initiative, which brings together storytellers, designers, and technologists to explore the future space economy.

2026 U.S. Senate candidacy In June 2025, Virts declared his candidacy in the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Texas for the seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn. Virts describes himself as a "common-sense Democrat" and says that he is against illegal immigration while supporting legal immigration. He has criticized the perceived support of illegal immigration by the Democratic Party during the Biden administration. Samantha Cristoforetti, and Anton Shkaplerov.

Publications – A coffee table book from National Geographic; contains mostly photographs of Earth, with additional photos of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, the International Space Station and related subjects; also contains stories about Virts's experiences as an astronaut. – A limited edition, luxury replication of the Apollo 11 Flight Plan. – An Insiders Guide To Leaving Planet Earth.