'Elon will soon be on his way': Trump asks Musk to 'go get' stranded NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore

US President Donald Trump has urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to retrieve two NASA astronauts who have remained aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for months after technical failures delayed their return to Earth.

In a Truth Social post, Trump accused the previous Biden administration of abandoning the astronauts and called on Musk’s company to facilitate their return.

“I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to ‘go get’ the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration,” Trump wrote. “They have been waiting for many months on @Space_Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!”

Musk, who is also overseeing cost-cutting measures for Trump’s administration, wrote on X: “The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.”

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for what was supposed to be a one-week test mission. The flight was crucial for Boeing as it sought to prove Starliner’s reliability after years of delays and technical setbacks.

Shortly after docking at the ISS, the spacecraft encountered multiple issues, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks. NASA postponed the astronauts’ return, citing safety concerns. By August, the agency determined it was too risky to use Starliner for the return trip. The capsule successfully returned to Earth in September without a crew.

Despite the delays, NASA has maintained that Wilmore and Williams were not in danger and continued conducting research aboard the ISS while awaiting a return flight.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, a proven spacecraft with multiple successful missions, is expected to safely transport them home in the coming weeks.