Billionaire Elon Musk has expressed his congratulations to SpaceX and NASA for successfully bringing home two astronauts who were stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for around nine months. Musk praised the hard work of both teams during an interview, stating, “Thanks to the excellent work of the SpaceX team working with NASA, the astronauts are now safely home.”
The astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were initially meant to spend only one week at the ISS. However, due to technical issues with their spacecraft, they were unable to return to Earth for an extended period. Their long stay in space raised significant concern back home.
Musk also took a moment to acknowledge former President Donald Trump for his efforts to expedite the astronauts’ return. After taking office, Trump reportedly directed Musk to help bring Wilmore and Williams back, accusing the Biden administration of neglect. In a tweet, Trump said he had asked Musk to “go get” the astronauts who he claimed had been “abandoned” in space.
The delay in the astronauts’ return became a contentious political matter, with Musk suggesting that political motivations on the part of the Biden administration were to blame for the astronauts staying in space longer than intended. He noted that SpaceX had made offers to return the astronauts sooner, but these were turned down.
Following the astronauts’ successful splashdown off the Florida coast, NASA officials addressed the questions around the political aspect during a news conference. While there were allegations of political interference, NASA’s Joel Montalbano maintained that his team had worked under the current administration’s direction.
The safe return of Wilmore and Williams marks a significant achievement for both NASA and SpaceX, showcasing the effectiveness of private-public partnerships in the space industry.
