Elon Musk has claimed that US astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were left stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) due to “political reasons” under the Biden administration, echoing comments made by former President Donald Trump.
In a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Musk stated that he was working to accelerate the return of the astronauts but their departure was postponed significantly. However, Trump simply said “Biden,” implying the president’s involvement in the delay.
The astronauts have denied feeling abandoned or stuck and explained that they are part of a larger team at the ISS. Williams stated that she doesn’t think Trump’s words accurately reflect her experience, saying “we are part of something bigger than ourselves.”
NASA initially announced a March 2025 launch window for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which will bring back the stranded astronauts, and has emphasized its commitment to completing processing on a new Dragon spacecraft before the mission. Musk claims his company is working towards their return in four weeks with Trump’s support, although it remains unclear why he suggested accelerated timelines.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/02/19