As the anticipated March 2025 return of two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) nears, they have countered statements made by Elon Musk and President Donald Trump suggesting that their extended stay in orbit was politically motivated.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, NASA astronauts, had their mission initially set for eight days when they started their journey to the ISS in June 2024 on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Their return was delayed due to technical complications with the spacecraft’s thrusters, valve systems, and helium leaks, which necessitated the return of the capsule to Earth without the crew in September 2024. By February 2025, their tenure had stretched to 258 days, a stay more than 30 times the intended duration.
Wilmore, in a video conversation with Anderson Cooper from the space station, stated, “We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t feel stuck, we don’t feel stranded,” and Williams added, “It was a little bit longer stay than we had expected, but we’ve made the most of it.” The astronauts have remained occupied with research and maintenance tasks during their protracted mission.
Claims arose during an interview with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Trump on Fox News, where Musk alleged that the astronauts were left in orbit longer than necessary for political reasons. President Trump suggested that the decision was driven by a desire to avoid negative news. This discussion took place during an interview focusing mainly on Musk’s initiative to reduce government expenditure through his Department of Government Efficiency.
NASA outlined a detailed rescue plan, which included the launch of SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon capsule in September with a reduced crew to accommodate the return of Wilmore and Williams. The space agency announced in December that the astronauts would return to Earth in mid-March 2025, following the arrival of their substitutes on the Crew-10 mission.
During their extended mission, Wilmore and Williams maintained a comprehensive work schedule. Williams achieved a new record for the most spacewalk time by a female astronaut, and both crew members carried out crucial maintenance operations. On January 30, they performed their first joint spacewalk, conducting exterior maintenance 260 miles above Spain. During this operation, they removed a malfunctioning antenna and conducted a thorough cleaning of the station’s exterior surface, searching for signs of microbial growth that might have escaped through station vents. “Here we go,” Wilmore said, stepping out 260 miles above Spain.
The initial delay was due to multiple technical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. NASA engineers concluded that these issues required the vehicle to return without a crew for safety reasons. This uncrewed return allowed NASA and Boeing to continue collecting testing data on Starliner during its subsequent flight home. Regular resupply missions ensured sufficient provisions for the crew throughout their extended mission.
In December 2024, NASA provided a detailed schedule for the crew’s return, announcing that the Crew-10 mission would not start until mid-March 2025 at the earliest. This schedule meant Wilmore and Williams would have been in orbit for at least nine months. Both astronauts, retired Navy captains, had previous experience with spacewalks during earlier space station stays. The space agency emphasized that while the mission extension was unexpected, it posed no risk to the astronauts, as the ISS maintains ample supplies and regular resupply missions ensure all crew needs are met.
Musk, in an interview with Hannity, made the claim that the astronauts were being brought back earlier at the president’s request. However, the timeline he gave—about four weeks—was the same one NASA had already announced months earlier, making it clear that nothing had been sped up. Musk reassured viewers that SpaceX had safely returned astronauts from the space station many times before and would take every precaution to ensure a smooth trip home. NASA officials later confirmed there had been no changes to the schedule, emphasizing that the timing was based purely on technical and safety factors, not politics.
Throughout their stay, the astronauts maintained positive attitudes, with Williams noting that they were “having a great time” and that “living in space is super fun.”
