President Donald Trump called out Elon Musk and SpaceX, asking them to bring home two NASA astronauts after claiming they were “virtually abandoned” by the previous administration in space. However, officials at NASA counter that the astronauts are not stranded and that a return has been planned for months.
Trump announced Truth Social, writing that he directed Musk and SpaceX to “go get” astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024. The two astronauts rode into space aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which was designed to spend only eight days. NASA and Boeing determined there was a propulsion system issue and decided to bring the spacecraft back without crew, leaving Wilmore and Williams at the ISS.
While Trump’s statement suggests that there is an urgent rescue mission required, NASA has repeatedly said that the astronauts are not in danger. They always planned to return aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 capsule, which is already docked at the ISS. The spacecraft was sent with only two crew members to make room for Wilmore and Williams to fly back next month.
The delay in their return is not due to any failure by NASA or Boeing, but rather due to NASA’s rotation schedule. Crew-9 is set to return after Crew-10 arrives in late March, ensuring that the ISS maintains proper staffing levels for ongoing scientific research and station maintenance. While NASA could technically bring the astronauts home immediately, doing so would leave the ISS understaffed, disrupting critical operations.
Musk, appointed as Trump’s head of the Department of Government Efficiency, promptly reacted to Trump’s appeal saying that SpaceX will retrieve the astronauts back “as soon as possible”. However, NASA does not know whether to sanction and pay for an early retrieval mission because a final plan is already in place.
NASA has contracted with SpaceX for upcoming crewed missions, but it’s not clear whether an additional mission would be required and whether funding would be an issue. The agency has yet to respond to the proposal for early retrieval by Trump.
Beyond the political theatrics, NASA officials insist that Wilmore and Williams are safe and will return on schedule.
