Trump asks SpaceX to ‘go get’ two stranded ISS astronauts : NPR

This picture comprised of a NASA stay stream reveals NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore throughout a press convention from the Worldwide House Station on Sept. 13, 2024. On Tuesday, President Trump mentioned he requested Elon Musk and SpaceX to “go get” the astronauts who’ve been on the I.S.S. since June after their authentic weeklong take a look at flight on Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule has been prolonged.

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SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced plans to convey residence two NASA astronauts who arrived on the Worldwide House Station on Boeing’s Starliner capsule “as quickly as potential,” on the request of President Trump.

Musk, the top of President Trump’s Division of Authorities Effectivity, has performed a vital position in Trump’s re-election marketing campaign and the early days of the President’s second time period in workplace.

“I’ve simply requested Elon Musk and SpaceX to “go get” the two courageous astronauts who’ve been nearly deserted in house by the Biden Administration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Good luck Elon!!!”

The astronauts Musk and Trump are presumably referencing are NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. NASA has lengthy mentioned the crew is not “stranded” and a plan to return them safely to Earth has been in place for months. In truth, NASA astronauts at all times practice for prolonged missions and medical consultants have stored a watchful eye on the well being of the 2 throughout their prolonged keep.

The astronauts arrived on the Worldwide House Station on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft after launching from Florida’s Cape Canaveral in June 2024. The take a look at flight was presupposed to final solely eight days. However engineers at NASA and Boeing uncovered points with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, and determined to return the car again to Earth and not using a crew. The 2 have remained on the station ever since.

This picture offered by NASA reveals the Boeing Starliner capsule, which carried astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the Worldwide House Station, docked on July 3, 2024, as seen from a window of SpaceX’s Dragon Crew Dragon. The Starliner capsule returned to Earth empty in September after a collection of technical issues.

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Wilmore and Williams are slated to fly residence on SpaceX’s Crew-9 capsule, which is presently docked to the ISS. It was despatched up with solely two crewmembers — a transfer to make room for Wilmore and Williams to return within the capsule with them subsequent month.

However NASA not too long ago announced a delay in Crew-10, which might convey Crew-9’s alternative to the station, to late March. NASA flies a brand new crew to the ISS earlier than returning the earlier one, sustaining ample staffing on the station.

Crew-10 will make the most of a model new Dragon capsule for the mission, and SpaceX’s efforts to prep the spacecraft for the mission have brought about a delay in getting the car to Florida’s House Coast forward of the launch.

“NASA and SpaceX are expeditiously working to securely return the company’s SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore as quickly as sensible, whereas additionally getting ready for the launch of Crew-10 to finish a handover between expeditions,” Cheryl Warner, a NASA spokeswoman mentioned on Wednesday, though there have been no further particulars on how that plan might change after the feedback by Musk and Trump

NASA might return Wilmore and Williams at any time, as their capsule is protected to come back residence now — however doing so would depart the station understaffed and jeopardize the science and upkeep being carried out aboard the station.

SpaceX has already been awarded contracts for upcoming astronaut missions on the schedule. It is unclear if NASA must pay Musk’s firm for an extra flight to return the crew early.