NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months have expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for facilitating their safe return. Originally scheduled for a brief 8 day mission, their stay extended to 286 days, culminating in their return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule on March 18, 2025.
In January 2025, President Donald Trump alleged that the Biden administration deliberately delayed the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station (ISS) to avoid involving SpaceX in their retrieval. Trump claimed that the astronauts were “virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration” and stated he had asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to “go get” them.
Elon Musk echoed these sentiments, asserting that SpaceX had offered to bring the astronauts back earlier, but the proposal was “rejected for political reasons” by the Biden administration.
In a video message shared prior to their departure from the ISS, Wilmore stated, “All of us have the utmost respect for Mr. Musk and obviously respect and admiration for President of the United States Donald Trump. We appreciate them, we appreciate all that they do for us, human spaceflight for our nation, and we’re thankful for the positions they are in.”
Williams added, “We are coming back before long, so don’t make those plans without me. We’ll be back before too long.”
President Trump has expressed his intention to personally welcome the astronauts at the White House once they have fully recovered, underscoring the administration’s commitment to supporting NASA’s endeavors and recognizing the dedication of its astronauts.
The mission’s extension resulted from technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which experienced helium leaks and thruster malfunctions shortly after liftoff. These complications prevented the planned return, necessitating an empty return of the Starliner to Earth and leaving Wilmore and Williams aboard the ISS until their retrieval via SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
Despite the unforeseen challenges, both astronauts have expressed a willingness to undertake future missions, demonstrating their resilience and dedication to advancing human space exploration.
