In a bold move on Tuesday, former President Trump took to Truth Social to ask Elon Musk and SpaceX to step in and rescue two astronauts who have been stuck in space for months. He wrote:
“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’ve been waiting for months on the @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck, Elon!!!”
The astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, were part of a Boeing mission in June. They’ve now been on the International Space Station (ISS) for over six months, far longer than planned. The original mission was supposed to last just 8-10 days, but multiple delays due to issues with thruster failures and helium leaks caused their return to be postponed.
Things took a turn when the spacecraft they traveled in, the Boeing Starliner, raised concerns with NASA, leading to their extended stay on the ISS. A return mission using a SpaceX craft was initially set for February but has since been moved to March at the earliest.
“NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 now is targeting no earlier than late March 2025 to launch four crew members to the ISS,” NASA announced in December.
Elon Musk and Trump have become close allies over the past year, with Musk showing strong support for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Musk even joined Trump on stage at several rallies, so when Trump made his call for action, Musk was quick to respond.
“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long,” Musk tweeted in reply.
As of now, The Hill has reached out to SpaceX and former President Biden for further comments on this developing situation.
