Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he asked SpaceX CEO and head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, to retrieve two astronauts stranded in space for months.
“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!!!” wrote President Trump on TruthSocial on January 28.
Two Boeing astronauts have remained stranded at the International Space Station since mid-2024 after their spacecraft experienced several issues that have prevented it from returning back to Earth safely. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have now been in space for the past eight months, extending a mission that was only supposed to last around one week.
“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so,” Musk posted to X on January 28.
“Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long,” he continued.
The two Boeing astronauts arrived on a Starliner spacecraft at the International Space Station in June 2024. Issues with the capsule eventually developed, with helium leaks and thruster problems making the craft unsuitable for a safe return home.
A plan was initially drafted months ago for the astronauts to hitch a ride on a previous SpaceX capsule with a planned arrival back on Earth by February. However, that initiative was eventually delayed to March or early April.
The SpaceX capsule that Wilmore and Williams are set to use is currently already in space. However, SpaceX postponed the launch of the replacement astronauts who must arrive at the space station in a different spacecraft before Wilmore and Williams can begin their journey back to Earth. This is because NASA aims to maintain overlapping crews to help make transitions more seamless.
The spacecraft that the replacement team will use is currently undergoing maintenance on the ground before it is set to depart to relieve the stranded astronauts.