Trump said he authorized Musk to expedite the return of Williams and Wilmore

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, recently expressed gratitude toward SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump. Their extended stay began in June 2024, when they launched on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for what was intended to be an eight-day mission.

However, technical issues with Starliner’s propulsion system, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, rendered it unsafe for their return. NASA opted to bring the spacecraft back to Earth empty in September 2024, leaving the astronauts to await an alternative ride home.

Their return is now scheduled for late March 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, facilitated by the Crew-9 mission. On March 16, 2025, Musk shared a video on X where the astronauts thanked him and Trump for their efforts in enabling their return.

Williams said, “We are coming back before long,” while Wilmore added, “All of us have the utmost respect for Mr. Musk and honestly, respect and admiration for our President of the United States Donald Trump. We appreciate all they do for us, for human spaceflight, for our nation.” The video has since garnered millions of views.

The situation became politically charged, with Trump and Musk claiming the Biden administration had “abandoned” the astronauts for political reasons, though NASA clarified their extended stay was necessary to maintain ISS staffing levels.

Trump, speaking on March 7, 2025, said he had authorized Musk to expedite their rescue, while Musk noted SpaceX had offered a Dragon mission earlier, which NASA declined due to operational and budgetary constraints. Despite the rhetoric, NASA had planned their return via SpaceX since August 2024 as part of a routine crew rotation.

The Crew-10 mission, launched on March 14, 2025, from Kennedy Space Center, docked with the ISS on March 16, carrying four astronauts to replace Williams, Wilmore, and others. Their return journey is set to conclude a mission marked by technical setbacks and public debate, with the astronauts themselves maintaining they never felt “stranded,” focusing instead on their work aboard the ISS.