January 29, 2025: US President Donald Trump has asked billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to expedite the return of two American astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stationed at the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024.

In a statement on Tuesday, Musk announced that he would fulfill the request, describing the situation as "terrible" and criticizing the former administration for leaving the astronauts in space for so long. Although NASA had already partnered with SpaceX months ago to bring Williams and Wilmore back as part of the Crew-9 mission, the mission had been delayed. Musk took to social media platform X, writing, "The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so." He further emphasized his disapproval, adding, "Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long."

President Trump also expressed his support, stating, "Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!" However, he did not provide a specific timeline for the mission's launch.

Despite the political rhetoric, NASA has consistently assured the public that the astronauts are not stranded and are in good health and high spirits. NASA's spokesperson reiterated, “Williams and Wilmore are not stranded. They are safe and continuing their duties aboard the ISS.”

The astronauts, who originally launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in June 2024, had expected to stay only 10 days on the station. However, issues with the Starliner’s spacecraft forced a prolonged stay. After discovering complications, NASA and Boeing deemed it unsafe for the spacecraft to return with the crew. As a result, NASA requested SpaceX to facilitate the astronauts' return aboard the Crew-9 mission. The astronauts are now expected to return by February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, following the Crew-9 mission’s delayed launch.

The public back-and-forth between Musk, Trump, and NASA highlights the complexities of space missions, where political statements, private-sector involvement, and technical challenges intersect.

As the mission progresses, SpaceX is expected to continue playing a critical role in NASA's space operations, with regular rotations of ISS crews already planned for the upcoming years.