Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has pledged that SpaceX will step in to bring home two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) after months of delays and technical failures with their spacecraft.
The astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, embarked on their mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5, 2024, with an expected return after just eight days. However, a series of malfunctions, including helium leaks and non-functional thrusters, left them unable to return to Earth as planned. Despite ongoing efforts by engineers at NASA and Boeing to resolve the issues, the return has been continuously postponed, with the latest projection now set for March or April 2025.
Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, made the announcement on Tuesday, stating that his company will take over the mission to bring the astronauts home. His decision followed a direct request from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who criticized the Biden administration for allegedly abandoning the two astronauts.
“President Trump has asked SpaceX to bring home the two astronauts stranded on the space station as soon as possible. We will do so,” Musk wrote in a post on social media. Trump echoed these concerns on his Truth Social platform, saying, “The two brave astronauts have been virtually abandoned in space. They have been waiting for many months on @SpaceStation. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck, Elon!”
NASA, however, has maintained that Williams and Wilmore are not in danger. The agency confirmed that the ISS remains well-stocked with essential supplies, thanks to recent resupply missions in November 2024. The astronauts have access to food, water, oxygen, and even holiday packages sent to the crew, ensuring their well-being while awaiting a safe return.
Boeing and SpaceX were both awarded multi-billion-dollar contracts by NASA to provide commercial space flights for astronauts. Boeing received a $4.2 billion contract, while SpaceX was awarded $2.6 billion. However, SpaceX has successfully completed nine crewed missions for NASA, while Boeing’s Starliner program has faced repeated delays and technical challenges, making this its first crewed attempt.
To carry out the rescue mission, SpaceX will deploy its reliable Dragon spacecraft, which has a proven track record of successful missions to and from the ISS. If successful, this operation will further solidify SpaceX’s dominance in commercial space travel and highlight the company’s ability to step in where others have faltered.
