Elon Musk has agreed with President Donald Trump’s request for SpaceX to accelerate the return of two NASA astronauts who have been on the International Space Station since June.
The astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, were initially expected to return in late March, but their stay has been extended due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, President Trump has asked Musk’s company to bring them home “as soon as possible.”
NASA officials have confirmed that they are working to safely return the astronauts, but they have not set a specific timeline for their return. The agency has said it would do so “as soon as practical,” but this phrase does not necessarily mean earlier than their current scheduled date.
The delayed return of the astronauts is due to concerns about understaffing the space station and the potential risks associated with spacewalks. NASA officials are weighing their options, including leaving the station understaffed or using one of SpaceX’s older Crew Dragons to transport the astronauts back to Earth.
SpaceX has already scheduled two new crews for the space station, but these missions have been delayed due to issues with the Starliner spacecraft. The company is now planning to use a brand-new Crew Dragon for its next astronaut launch, but this will not be ready until late March at the earliest.
The astronauts’ extended stay in orbit has raised concerns about the potential risks of space travel and the need for more efficient and effective systems. As President Trump noted, the Biden administration’s handling of the situation has been criticized as leaving the astronauts “virtually abandoned in space.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/science/musk-spacex-trump-nasa-astronauts.html