Musk Criticizes Biden Administration’s Delay
Musk referred to the situation as “terrible” and stated, “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 added, “Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.”
The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.
Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2025
NASA’s Response to the Situation
In response, NASA reassured the public that the astronauts were not stranded. The space agency confirmed they were healthy and in good spirits. Williams and Wilmore launched to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024. Initially, their mission was planned for just 10 days, but unforeseen delays kept them aboard the ISS much longer than expected.
Spacecraft Issues Lead to Mission Delay
After reaching the ISS, the Starliner experienced technical problems. NASA and Boeing spent weeks investigating the issues. Eventually, they determined it was too risky to use the Starliner to bring the astronauts back. As a result, in August 2024, NASA requested that SpaceX bring Williams and Wilmore home aboard the Crew-9 mission. In order to accommodate them, NASA swapped two astronauts from the Crew-9 mission with Williams and Wilmore, adjusting their return timeline.
More Delays, But Early Return Now Possible
Initially, the astronauts were scheduled to return by February 2025. However, in December 2024, SpaceX needed more time to finalize the preparation of its new Dragon spacecraft for Crew-10. This caused Crew-9’s return mission to be delayed until March 2025, following Crew-10’s arrival at the ISS.
Nevertheless, Musk’s recent post suggests an earlier departure may be possible. He hinted that the Crew Dragon capsule, named “Freedom,” could leave the ISS sooner than expected, with Williams and Wilmore onboard.
