In a surprising move, U.S. President Donald Trump has called on techmogul Elon Musk to step in and help bring back astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded in space for months. This situation has drawn significant attention, as Trump criticises the previous administration for not addressing the astronauts' prolonged stay at the International Space Station (ISS).
Donald Trump's Bold Request to Elon Musk
President Donald Trump has not shied away from publicly blaming the Biden administration for leaving Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore stranded in space since June 2024. In a recent statement, Trump directed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to go get the two brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space.
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On X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk confirmed the request. He explained that Trump had personally asked him to intervene and ensure that the astronauts returned home safely.
Stranded Astronauts - Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore traveled to space aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 8, 2024. What was intended to be a 10-day mission quickly turned into an unexpected challenge. Malfunctions in the spacecraft’s systems, including a thruster failure and a helium leak, have kept the astronauts at the ISS much longer than anticipated.
The astronauts were supposed to return home shortly after their mission, but due to these technical issues, their return was delayed. Now, SpaceX has been tasked with bringing them back safely.
Elon Musk Steps In to Bring Astronauts Back
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has already made progress in addressing the issue. In September, SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of a mission. While two astronauts were sent on this Crew-9 flight, the remaining two seats were left open for Williams and Wilmore, making it clear that they would be included in a future return flight.
However, the Crew-9 capsule couldn’t return to Earth until the upcoming Crew-10 mission is launched. Musk has assured that SpaceX will take action as soon as possible. With Crew-10 scheduled for launch soon, it is expected that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will finally be on their way back by the end of February.