The Trump administration has taken a dig at the previous Biden government, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk alleging on social media platform X that the Biden administration left two astronauts “stranded.” Musk also claimed that President Donald Trump had asked SpaceX to step in for a rescue.
However, NASA had already asked SpaceX months ago to return astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station as part of its Crew-9 mission. In December, a delay in the plan was announced as mission teams stated they required additional time to prepare a new SpaceX vehicle.
“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so,” Musk’s post reads. “Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.”
Musk’s comment was picked by Trump. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump talked about, “the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration.” His post read, “Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!”
While Willmore and Williams’ return to the Earth has been delayed many times, NASA and the astronauts themselves have assured that their return trip is expected to be fairly routine, as they are set to fly back alongside other astronauts as part of a planned crew rotation.
Credit: Instagram/@astrohague
What has been the delay?
In June 2024, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore piloted the first crewed mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, their journey to the International Space Station wasn’t as smooth as was expected. After it was docked at the station, both NASA and Boeing tried to work through the issues which included- helium leaks and propulsion issues, but failed to do so.
Finally, the space agency decided that it was too risky for the crew to return aboard the Starliner. In August, NASA announced that it had tasked SpaceX with bringing Williams and Wilmore back aboard the Crew-9 capsule. The spacecraft remains docked at the International Space Station, where both astronauts have officially joined the ISS staff while awaiting their return home.
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