Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore home

Washington DC [US], January 29 (ANI): Elon Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter): "The President has asked SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the ISS as soon as possible. We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long."

The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.

Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2025

In response to this post, President Trump expressed frustration with the Biden administration's handling of the situation involving two astronauts, Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 5, 2024. The astronauts were left on the ISS after an issue with their Boeing Starliner capsule delayed their return to Earth, CBS News reported.
Trump blamed the Biden administration for what he described as "abandoning" the astronauts, and he called on SpaceX founder Elon Musk to bring them home. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "I have asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to go get the two brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden administration. They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!"
Musk, who had previously acknowledged the request, responded on X, stating that SpaceX would indeed bring the astronauts home. He criticised the Biden administration's role in the delay, writing, "Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long." However, the characterisation of the astronauts as "stranded" and "abandoned" has been disputed.
While Wilmore and Williams have been on an extended stay aboard the ISS, they were never in any immediate danger and could return to Earth anytime NASA decided. Their return could occur via a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which has had seats available for them since September 2024.
The situation began when the two astronauts launched aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule in June 2024 for a mission that was initially expected to last only eight to 10 days. However, the mission encountered technical issues, including propellant leaks and problems with the Starliner's propulsion system.
NASA then extended the astronauts' stay on the ISS to avoid disrupting the overall crew rotation schedule. This extension was based on a risk assessment and the desire to maintain operational stability for the ISS. Wilmore and Williams remained on the ISS with no immediate risk, while their Starliner capsule was brought back to Earth under remote control without them, reported CBS News.
On September 28, 2024, SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS with two crew members aboard, leaving two seats vacant for Wilmore and Williams. The astronauts are now expected to return with the Crew 9 mission at the end of March 2025, after completing nearly 300 days in space. Both astronauts have stated they understood the decision to extend their mission, which had been made in coordination with NASA and SpaceX.
Musk's comments regarding returning the astronauts "as soon as possible" would only make sense if the Crew 9 team, which includes Wilmore and Williams, were to return early. However, this could disrupt the ISS's operations, leaving only one US astronaut on the station to handle the crucial tasks associated with the US segment of the ISS.
This could halt critical research until the arrival of Crew 10, which may be delayed due to logistical issues. Furthermore, the Crew 10 mission might be impacted by the availability of Crew Dragon capsules, including the one earmarked for a commercial mission by Axiom Space, CBS News reported.
While Musk's statements have sparked confusion about the immediate plans for the astronauts' return, the reality remains that the astronauts are not in distress and are likely to remain aboard the ISS until the end of March 2025, as originally planned. (ANI)