
Will Sunita Williams Get Home Sooner? Trump Tells Musk To “Go Get” Them, Sparking Confusion
Photo:NASA
India-West News Desk
HOUSTON, TX (with Reuters input) – Former President Donald Trump’s claim that two NASA astronauts have been “abandoned in space” and his call for Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring them home have caused confusion, as NASA already has a plan in place for their return.
On the night of January 28, Trump posted on Truth Social:
“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. 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!!!”
Musk reacted by sharing a screenshot of Trump’s post with a saluting emoji. Later, he suggested a change to NASA’s timeline, stating, “We will do so.”
However, NASA had already scheduled the astronauts’ return aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in late March. Trump’s remarks left many wondering whether he was proposing an accelerated return or if SpaceX would launch a replacement mission ahead of schedule.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 for what was initially an eight-day mission. Due to propulsion system issues, NASA deemed Starliner unsafe for their return and reassigned them to SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission in September.
Crew-9, which also includes Nick Hague and Aleksandr Grubonov, has been docked at the International Space Station (ISS) since then, awaiting the arrival of Crew-10, which must replace them before their return to Earth.
NASA originally planned for Williams and Wilmore to return in February 2025, but delays in preparing a new Crew Dragon capsule for Crew-10 have pushed their departure to late March.
Trump’s comments raise questions about whether Crew-9 could return before Crew-10’s arrival. However, that would leave NASA astronaut Don Pettit as the only American aboard the ISS—an imbalance that NASA has said could make station maintenance more difficult.
NASA has not yet responded to Trump’s remarks, but officials were reportedly caught off guard by his statement.
Also Read: NASA Helping To Land Sunita Williams As She Remains Stuck In Space