Sunita Williams' Return: Elon Musk Says SpaceX Will Bring Home Stranded Astronauts
In June 2024, both Williams and Wilmore had launched in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft and their flight was intended to last only 10 days.
US President Donald Trump has asked Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring home astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore as soon as possible, according to the billionaire's post on X.
"We will do so...Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long," Musk said in his post.
Williams and Wilmore have been stranded on the international space station since June 2024.
On Donald Trump's own social media platform, Truth Social, he posted, "I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to 'go get' the two brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration. 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!!!"
Both Williams and Wilmore had launched in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft and their flight was intended to last only 10 days, last year. However, NASA and Boeing found out that it was too risky to return the Startliner with the crew.
Then, in August 2024, NASA announced that it had asked SpaceX to bring Williams and Wilmore home aboard the SpaceX Crew-9 capsule and removed two of the four crew members who were set to launch on the SpaceX Dragon in September. They were expected to return home in February 2025.
But there was another delay in December, because Musk's company needed more time to work on the latest Dragon spacecraft, which will be debuting with the launch of Crew-10.
Williams spoke to students from her school Needham High School on Jan. 27 and revealed what it was like living at the space station. “I've been up here long enough right now. I've been trying to remember what it's like to walk. I haven't walked. I haven't sat down. I haven't laid down. You don't have to. You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here," she had said.
