GG News Bureau
Washington, 29th Jan. Billionaire Elon Musk announced that SpaceX will expedite the return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS) following a request from US President Donald Trump.
Musk claimed the astronauts had been “stranded” on the ISS since June 2024 due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was originally intended for a 10-day mission but faced technical failures.
“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so,” Musk posted on X.
Trump also commented on the matter, stating on Truth Social, “Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!”
NASA Maintains Astronauts Are Not Stranded
NASA, however, has repeatedly denied claims that the astronauts are stranded, asserting that Williams and Wilmore are in good health and spirits. The space agency had already arranged their return via SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, replacing two crew members on the SpaceX Dragon capsule to accommodate the Starliner astronauts.
While the astronauts were initially scheduled to return in February 2025, a delay in SpaceX’s latest Dragon spacecraft, set to debut with Crew-10, pushed their return to late March.
Musk’s latest announcement suggests an earlier return, with the Crew Dragon capsule ‘Freedom’ possibly making an expedited departure from the ISS.
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