President Donald Trump has directed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to expedite the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station (ISS). The astronauts have been aboard the ISS since June 2024, following an intended eight-day mission that was extended due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
Initially, Wilmore and Williams traveled to the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner for a brief test mission. However, propulsion system problems, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, prevented their scheduled return. Consequently, NASA deemed the Starliner unsafe for their journey back to Earth and arranged for their retrieval via SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. This return mission, originally planned for February, has been postponed to late March to allow for additional preparations.
Expressing concern over the prolonged duration of the astronauts’ stay, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he had asked Musk and SpaceX to “go get” the two astronauts, criticizing the previous administration for leaving them in space for an extended period.
In response, Musk confirmed that SpaceX would expedite the retrieval, stating, “The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.” He also criticized the prior administration for the delay.
Despite the extended mission, both astronauts have reported being in good health and have continued their scientific work aboard the ISS. Williams noted, “Eventually we want to go home because we left our families a little while ago, but we have a lot to do while we’re up here.”
NASA has emphasized that the astronauts are not in immediate danger and that the delay in their return is due to necessary preparations to ensure a safe journey back to Earth. The agency is coordinating with SpaceX to facilitate the astronauts’ return as promptly and safely as possible.