President Donald Trump has asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to “go get” Indian American Sunita Williams and fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since last June.
The trip of the two astronauts was originally meant to be around eight to ten days; however, the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they took off in caused NASA to be concerned and leave them at the ISS.
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A return mission for Williams and Wilmore that would use a SpaceX craft was originally planned for February, but it was moved to at least late March. “NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 now is targeting no earlier than late March 2025 to launch four crew members to the International Space Station,” NASA said in a mid-December release.
However, Trump Tuesday said that he “asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to ‘go get’ the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space.”
“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,” he said in a Truth Social post. “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 @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,” Musk said in response on the social platform X on Tuesday evening.
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Williams, 59, a veteran of two space missions. and launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. Their initial launch too was delayed multiple times because of thruster failures and helium leaks. Following the agency’s decision to return Starliner uncrewed, the duo is currently living and working aboard the space station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew.
Born Sep. 19, 1965 in Euclid, Ohio to Dr. Deepak and Bonnie Pandya, Williams considers Needham, Massachusetts to be her hometown, according to NASA. She and her husband Michael enjoy hanging out with their dogs, working out, working on houses, working on cars, working on airplanes, hiking and camping.