When Barry Wilmore returned to Earth on March 11, it took the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, out of space for the first time in six months. That absence won’t last long, though. Scott Kelly—who, like Wilmore, is a graduate of UT’s Space Institute—will begin a one-year mission in space later this week, giving UT an impressive span of being represented almost 18 consecutive months in space.

Before UT alumnus and NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore turned over the command of the International Space Station in preparation for his return to Earth, he issued a good-bye message that included some love for UT.

In an e-mail to the College of Engineering, Wilmore thanked everyone for supporting him during his time in space.

NASA’s Scott Kelly, who earned his master’s degree in aviation systems from UT in 1996, will be heading to the International Space Station for a one-year mission later this spring, something that helped land him a spot as Michelle Obama’s guest at the State of the Union address.

When Scott Kelly calls home from the International Space Station (ISS) sometime next year, whoever answers the phone may simply hang up on him. The calls will be welcome, but the link can be lousy, with long, hissing silences breaking up the conversation.

Read more about Scott Kelly in this issue of TIME Magazine.

UT alumnus and NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore is commanding the latest crew to launch to the International Space Station. […]

Nine astronauts, including the current commander of the International Space Station, are graduates of the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma. Three notable astronauts studied at UTSI, but did not receive their degrees there and one notable astronaut graduated for the UT College of Medicine.