Trump Seeks Elon Musk’s Aid In Bringing Sunita Williams Back From Space; Slams Biden Admin Over ‘Abandoning’ Her

US President Donald Trump directed tech billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring back NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore who have been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) since June, 2024. Trump in his social media post also lambasted the previous Joe Biden administration for ‘abandoning’ them.

NASA earlier announced that its astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore would return to Earth in February 2025 on SpaceX Crew Dragon flight. However, the astronauts in December got their space mission extended once again until the end of March or even April owing to a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA.

Sunita and Butch are continuing with their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/71 crew through February 2025, the space agency said.

What did Trump say?

Taking it to his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “I have just asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to “go get” the 2 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!!!”

Confirming the development, Musk tweeted that the President had asked SpaceX to get the astronauts home as soon as possible.

“We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long,” the SpaceX CEO said.

Why Suni and Butch are still in space?

On June 5, 2024, the two veteran NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore embarked on a one-week-long space venture.

However, their stay got extended owing to technical glitches including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions.

For the past few months, their return has been scheduled for February 2025, when they will make their way back to Earth in a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Faulty Starliner returns to Earth

On September 7, amid countless speculations concerning the fate of the mission and the stranded astronauts, the uncrewed and faulty Starliner capsule reached the Earth following a successful undocking from the International Space Station’s (ISS) Harmony Module a few hours ago.

The astronauts were initially scheduled to return to Earth from the ISS aboard the Boeing Starliner. However, technical delays, safety concerns, and program adjustments have led NASA to reconsider its plans. Boeing’s Starliner is not yet considered fully operational, leading to NASA’s decision to pull Williams from the mission.

The future of NASA’s collaboration with commercial partners

The developments surrounding the Starliner mission raised broader questions about the future of NASA’s collaboration with commercial partners. While SpaceX has demonstrated the reliability of its Crew Dragon, Boeing’s challenges with Starliner show that building a fully operational crew transport vehicle is a difficult endeavor.

While Boeing’s Starliner continues to undergo further development and testing, it remains a key component of NASA’s vision for the future of crewed space missions. For now, however, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is the more reliable option, as NASA continues its journey toward diversifying its astronaut transport vehicles.