Former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Tuesday to criticize the Biden administration for what he described as “abandoning” two astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Trump claimed that the two astronauts, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, had been left stranded following issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule last summer. Trump called on SpaceX founder Elon Musk to “go get” the astronauts, expressing hope that they would be safely brought back to Earth. He added, “Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!”
In a post on his own social media platform X, Musk confirmed that Trump had asked SpaceX to bring the astronauts home as quickly as possible, also criticizing the Biden administration for leaving them in space for so long. However, the situation surrounding Wilmore and Williams was not as dire as it seemed. Despite Trump’s and Musk’s statements, the astronauts were not “stranded” or “abandoned” in space. NASA had simply decided to extend their mission after issues with the Starliner capsule prevented a timely return to Earth.
The astronauts, who launched aboard the Starliner capsule on June 5, were not in immediate danger. The Starliner mission encountered some setbacks, including propellant leaks and pressurization issues with its propulsion system, which delayed the return of Wilmore and Williams. After assessing the situation, NASA extended their stay aboard the ISS, opting to send a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to the station in September to bring them back later. The Crew Dragon capsule, which had already transported two astronauts to the ISS, had two empty seats specifically for Wilmore and Williams.
The decision to keep them on the station was made based on a risk assessment, ensuring minimal disruption to the schedule of crew rotations and cargo deliveries. Wilmore and Williams have been scheduled to return with other astronauts at the end of March, having spent nearly 300 days in space by that time. Despite the extended mission, both astronauts have expressed understanding of NASA’s decision.
There had been no reports of the Biden administration being involved in the decision to extend their stay. Musk, while vocal about the situation, had not criticized NASA at the time of the extension and was aware of the reasoning behind the delay. The implication that SpaceX would need to take immediate action to “rescue” the astronauts was, therefore, misleading. The astronauts could have returned on the Crew Dragon capsule without further delay, as SpaceX had already launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft with empty seats for them in September.
The idea of returning the Starliner crew “as soon as possible” would likely result in an early return of all four astronauts—Wilmore, Williams, NASA’s Nick Hague, and cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov. Such a move would, however, leave NASA with just one astronaut on the space station, which could halt important research on the U.S. segment of the ISS. Moreover, with rumors indicating that Crew 10’s launch might be delayed, NASA could consider moving the Crew 9 return forward slightly to accommodate a crew change. However, this would not significantly alter the timing of the astronauts’ return.
Ultimately, there is little to suggest that the astronauts were ever truly in danger, and the decision to extend their stay was based on carefully considered factors aimed at maintaining the operational flow of the ISS. While the rhetoric surrounding the situation has stirred controversy, the astronauts are expected to return to Earth safely at the end of March, continuing to contribute to vital research and operations aboard the space station.
