Donald Trump demanded SpaceX boss Elon Musk “go get” two NASA astronauts who, the president claims, were left “abandoned in space” by the Biden Administration.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stuck on the International Space Station since June 2024 after their Boeing Starliner became beset with issues. The mission, which was intended to last eight days, has now lasted more than eight months.
Extending beyond Musk’s remit as head of the non-governmental Department of Government Efficiency tasked with cutting $1 trillion from the federal budget, Trump called on his First Buddy to bring Williams and Wilmore back from the thermosphere.
“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,” he wrote on Truth Social late on Tuesday, taking a swipe at his predecessor.
He continued: “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!!!”
Hours before Trump broadcast his request, Musk publicly accepted the challenge.
“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible,” the billionaire wrote on X. “We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.”
Responding to a comment that the Biden Administration hated Musk more than they wanted to rescue the astronauts, the MAGA loyalist replied, “True”.
Though it wasn’t immediately clear what the new timeline was, a SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon was originally planned to retrieve the astronauts in February, before it was moved to “no earlier than late March 2025,” NASA said last month.
A previous SpaceX rescue mission faced problems, causing Musk’s company to temporarily ground its Falcon 9 rockets in September.
Musk has been especially close with the president ever since endorsing the GOP candidate in July, after the first attempt on Trump’s life during a Pennsylvania rally.
The Silicon Valley stalwart spent over $250m on political donations to help Trump retake the White House last week, primarily through donations to his super-political action committee, America PAC.
He continued to cozy up to the president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, staying in a $ 2000-per-week cottage on its grounds ever since Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris at the ballot box in November.
