President Donald Trump has asked Elon Musk’s SpaceX to retrieve two NASA astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), according to White House officials. The astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were already assigned a SpaceX flight home in March but have faced unclear return details from Trump.
Wilmore and Williams, who spent months waiting on the ISS, were last seen on a Starliner spacecraft in August before issues arose with its propulsion system. NASA had previously deemed the Starliner too risky to bring back to Earth under the Biden administration, opting instead for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.
Musk confirmed earlier this week that Trump has asked SpaceX to return the astronauts “as soon as possible,” suggesting a potential change from NASA’s original March return plan.Wilmore and Williams remain healthy and focused on their scientific work aboard the ISS despite the challenges faced by Boeing’s Starliner project.
The request could impact scheduling at the ISS, with concerns about understaffing if Crew-9 is returned to Earth before Crew-10 arrives.NASA has emphasized that the astronauts are among seven crew members on the station and remain fully engaged in their work.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/trump-musk-suggest-sped-up-return-nasa-astronauts-details-scarce-2025-01-29