US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk‘s SpaceX will “soon” launch a mission to bring home two American astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for months.
Veteran Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the ISS in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner for what was meant to be an eight-day stay.
However, technical issues with the spacecraft forced Nasa to delay their return.
The space agency initially planned for SpaceX to bring them back in February, but the mission was pushed to late March as the company prepares a new vehicle.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!” US president added, without confirming a launch date.
Elon Musk, a key financial backer of Trump’s campaign and now a full-fledged member of US administration, confirmed on X that the president had urged SpaceX to expedite the astronauts’ return.
SpaceX has been running crew rotations to and from the ISS every six months. Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams have remained in good spirits, with Nasa assuring they have ample supplies and are enjoying their extended stay.
While their prolonged mission is unusual, it has yet to surpass the record set by astronaut Frank Rubio, who spent 371 consecutive days in orbit in 2023 after a coolant leak disabled his Russian return capsule.
