Former President Donald Trump has once again grabbed headlines, this time by inserting himself into an ongoing NASA mission. On January 28, Trump took to Truth Social to claim that two NASA astronauts were “stranded” on the International Space Station (ISS) and that he had personally asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to bring them home. The claim quickly gained traction, with Musk responding on X (formerly Twitter), vowing to carry out the supposed mission.
The problem? There’s no need for a rescue mission. The two astronauts in question—Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore—are not abandoned. They are simply waiting for their pre-scheduled return in March or April, a plan that was decided months ago for safety reasons.
So why did Trump and Musk step in with an unnecessary and highly impractical solution?
The Reality: No Astronauts Are “Stranded”
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on June 5, 2024. The mission was meant to last just eight days, but unexpected thruster malfunctions on Starliner made it unsafe for their return journey.
NASA then decided to leave the spacecraft behind and bring the astronauts home via SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, a return mission that has already been scheduled.
Rather than coming back immediately, Williams and Wilmore integrated into the Expedition 71/72 crew on the ISS, participating in scientific research, station maintenance, and even spacewalks. In September 2024, NASA finalized the decision to return them home aboard the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which already had two available seats.
The mission will bring them back in late March or early April 2025—a timeline set for safety and logistical reasons. So, no one is abandoned. No rescue is needed. The plan is already in motion.
The Trump-Musk Political Play
Despite the facts, Trump went on social media claiming that the astronauts had been “virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration” and that Elon Musk would be launching a rescue mission.
He, for his part, played along, stating, “We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.” However, there’s no indication that Musk is planning a real “rescue.” No extra SpaceX launch has been announced.
Why A Sudden “Rescue” Would Be Pointless And Risky?
Even if Elon Musk wanted to launch an unscheduled mission to bring the astronauts home, it wouldn’t make sense. Here’s why:
- SpaceX Crew Dragon is already the planned return vehicle – Rushing an extra launch would provide no real benefit.
- Launching a new mission is costly – Preparing a Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon on short notice would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and disrupt NASA’s carefully planned schedule.
- There are limited docking ports on the ISS – If another Crew Dragon were launched unexpectedly, it would require coordination with NASA to ensure a docking spot was even available.
In short, Trump’s plan was never a real plan. It was a headline-grabbing stunt that ignored existing NASA logistics.
What Happens Next?
NASA has not officially responded to Trump and Musk’s claims, other than reiterating that the return mission is proceeding as planned. However, the spectacle has already served its political purpose—generating social media buzz and reinforcing a narrative that blames Biden for something entirely out of his control.
Meanwhile, Williams and Wilmore remain safe and productive aboard the ISS. They have continued to participate in research, maintenance, and even spacewalks. Their extended stay—while unexpected—has not been a crisis.
Come late March or early April, they will return home aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon as scheduled. The Boeing Starliner delays are a real issue, but they are being handled through careful planning and engineering solutions—not last-minute PR-driven “rescues.”
