Elon Musk has claimed that two U.S. astronauts, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June last year, were essentially abandoned due to “political reasons,” reiterating a point originally made by former President Donald Trump. This assertion has been denied by the astronauts themselves.
– Musk made these claims during a Fox News interview with Trump, where he addressed the planned return of the astronauts, asserting that SpaceX is working to bring them back as instructed by Trump.
– He criticized the Biden administration, suggesting that the return mission was unnecessarily delayed, as the astronauts had been on the ISS for nearly 300 days, far exceeding the anticipated 8-day duration.
– Trump supported Musk’s statement, suggesting that the Biden administration was reluctant to facilitate the astronauts’ return due to a desire to avoid negative publicity.
– Despite Musk and Trump’s claims, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore stated in a CNN interview that they do not feel abandoned or stranded. They emphasized their preparedness and commitment to the mission.
– Williams noted that they are part of a larger team at the ISS and do not share the sentiment expressed by Musk and Trump.
NASA’s Position:
NASA has publicly provided a timeline for the astronauts’ return, indicating that the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which includes Williams and Wilmore, will bring them back only after the Crew-10 mission launches. This timeline, set for March 2025 at the earliest, means that Musk’s assertions about an expedited return timeline lack clarity and corroboration.
Williams and Wilmore flew to the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner in June as part of a test mission meant to last about 10 days. However, due to various technical malfunctions in the Starliner, their return was postponed, leading to the current situation.
While Musk and Trump claim political motivations behind the astronauts’ prolonged stay in space, the astronauts themselves and NASA’s official communications provide a different perspective, focusing on operational timelines and the ongoing teamwork within the ISS.
