Two NASA astronauts, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, have denied being abandoned or marooned in space after a nine-month ordeal on the International Space Station. The duo spoke out at a press conference in Houston, contradicting claims made by Elon Musk and Donald Trump that they were left stranded by the Biden administration.
Wilmore and Williams said they never felt neglected or needed rescue, and instead calmly assumed their duties as members of the space station crew. They explained that their training and preparations allowed them to pivot seamlessly from test pilots to routine ISS crew members who splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico on a routine crew rotation flight.
The astronauts dismissed claims that they were “stuck,” “stranded,” or “abandoned” in space, saying these terms are too broad and don’t accurately describe their experience. Wilmore also pushed back on Musk’s claim that they were “failed” by NASA, stating that the agency did not abandon them.
Crewmate Nick Hague echoed his colleagues’ sentiments, emphasizing that politics do not affect operational decisions in space. The astronauts will meet Boeing leadership on Wednesday to share their insights and experiences.
The Starliner spacecraft, which carried the trio back to Earth, experienced technical issues during its maiden crewed mission, leading to a premature end. Both Williams and Wilmore expressed interest in flying on the spacecraft again, but acknowledged that there were questions they wished they had asked during the flight that might have altered the outcome.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/31/nasa-astronauts-iss-trump-musk