President Donald Trump has called upon SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to expedite the return of NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams from the International Space Station (ISS). The astronauts have been aboard the ISS since June 2024, following an extended mission due to technical issues with their original Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
On Tuesday evening, President Trump announced on his social media platform, 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 … “
Elon Musk responded affirmatively, stating, “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.”
The astronauts’ mission began in June 2024 when they traveled to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Originally planned as an eight-day test flight, the mission was extended due to technical challenges. The Starliner experienced thruster malfunctions en route to the ISS, leading to concerns about its ability to safely return the crew to Earth.
In August 2024, NASA determined that returning the astronauts aboard the Starliner posed too great a risk and flew the Starliner back to Earth autonomously. Instead, the agency arranged for their return using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. This plan involved Wilmore and Williams joining ISS Crew 9 and returning on the Crew-9 mission. That mission launched to the ISS in September 2024. The Crew Dragon capsule is currently docked at the ISS, awaiting the scheduled return trip sometime in “late March”.
As of now, NASA reports that the astronauts are in good health and continue to conduct scientific research aboard the ISS. However, many on social media question the astronauts’ health based on Suni Williams’s increasingly frail appearance and comments by the astronauts themselves. In a recent broadcast, Williams said she was “trying to remember what it’s like to walk”. In context, it was a fairly benign statement, but it may also paint a picture of an increasingly frustrated and tired Williams.
The original plan was for them to return to Earth in late March 2025. However, President Trump’s recent directive to expedite their return has introduced uncertainty into the mission’s timeline. Adjusting the schedule to facilitate an earlier return could disrupt NASA’s carefully coordinated ISS staffing and mission plans.
NASA has not yet provided a public response to the President’s directive. The agency must consider various factors, including the readiness of replacement crews and the overall mission schedule, before making any changes to the astronauts’ return plans.
This situation further demonstrates NASA’s increasing reliance on SpaceX for crew transportation to and from the ISS. While Boeing was initially contracted alongside SpaceX to provide crewed spacecraft, the Starliner’s technical issues have led to delays and a greater dependence on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. The status of the entire Starliner project remains in question, as Boeing faces it’s own financial troubles, along with a space division that continues to bleed money.
This latest directive from President Trump represents an unusual presidential intervention in NASA’s operations. As SpaceX owner Elon Musk becomes increasingly involved in the Trump administration, it remains to be seen how this will affect the agency’s planning and its relationship with commercial partners. Clearly, some lines will have to be drawn.
