"We will do so": Elon Musk says Trump asked SpaceX to bring 'stranded' Sunita Williams back home from ISS
Elon Musk announced that President Trump requested SpaceX’s help to expedite the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the ISS, after delays caused by technical issues with their spacecraft.
!["We will do so": Elon Musk says Trump asked SpaceX to bring stranded Sunita Williams back home from ISS dmn "We will do so": Elon Musk says Trump asked SpaceX to bring stranded Sunita Williams back home from ISS dmn](https://static-gi.asianetnews.com/images/01jede08hbjpvmx1egb5d2x475/sunita-williams_363x203xt.jpg)
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, announced on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump had requested his assistance in expediting the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS). The two astronauts have been stranded on the ISS since June 2024, after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft experienced technical issues, making it unsafe for return.
Musk expressed his discontent with the situation, stating that it was "terrible" that the Biden administration had left the astronauts stranded for so long. However, NASA has maintained that the astronauts are healthy, in good spirits, and not stranded.
"The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.
Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long," Must wrote in a post on X.
The astronauts were initially scheduled to return in September 2024, but NASA decided it was too risky due to the Starliner's technical issues. Instead, SpaceX's Crew-9 mission was tasked with bringing Williams and Wilmore back to Earth. The mission launched in September 2024 with only two crew members, making room for the stranded astronauts to return on the Crew-9 capsule in February 2025.
However, another delay occurred in December, pushing the return date to late March 2025. Musk's recent post suggests that the Crew Dragon capsule, named 'Freedom,' may depart the ISS earlier than scheduled, potentially bringing Williams and Wilmore back home sooner.