President Donald Trump asked billionaire Elon Musk to “go get” two astronauts that have been aboard the International Space Station since June 2024, claiming the Biden administration had “virtually abandoned” them even though NASA has said for months it plans to bring them home soon.
“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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Musk is the CEO of SpaceX. “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!!!”
The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, traveled to the ISS in June for what was meant to be a short trip aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. But the Starliner had issues with its propulsion system on its way into space, and NASA later decided to extend the astronauts’ stay aboard the ISS and send the craft home empty.
It landed safely in New Mexico last September.
NASA instead launched a new SpaceX craft later that month with two free seats, saying it would bring Wilmore and Williams home aboard that vessel as soon as the agency’s next crew, Crew-10, traveled to the ISS to allow for a crossover period between astronauts.
Crew-10 is now scheduled to head to space no earlier than the end of March. NASA has been emphatic in saying the two astronauts are in excellent health and are not stranded. The agency added in December it had recently resupplied the space station, saying it was well-stocked “with everything the crew needs, including food, water, clothing and oxygen.”
Musk said Tuesday night he had spoken with Trump and that SpaceX planned to bring home Wilmore and Williams “as soon as possible,” echoing the president’s criticisms of the Biden administration.
It’s unclear how Trump’s directive will impact NASA’s current plans. The New York Times notes the apparent options to expedite the timeline are less than ideal, including leaving the ISS understaffed by sending a crew home early or sending Williams and Wilmore home alone and leaving some crew behind.
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That would leave those astronauts without a ride back to Earth, the same predicament Williams and Wilmore found themselves in last year.