NASA is working closely with SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, to bring home astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for months. Their return, originally planned for February, has now been pushed to after Crew-10’s arrival in late March 2025.
Washington, DC: NASA is working closely with SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, to bring home astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for months. Their return, originally planned for February, has now been pushed to after Crew-10’s arrival in late March 2025.
In an official statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), NASA confirmed its commitment to safely returning the Crew-9 astronauts while ensuring a smooth transition between missions.
“NASA and SpaceX are expeditiously working to safely return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore as soon as practical, while also preparing for the launch of Crew-10 to complete a handover between expeditions.”
Why Are Astronauts Williams and Wilmore Still in Space?
The Crew-9 mission, which includes Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, has faced multiple delays. Williams and Wilmore initially traveled to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner, with the expectation of staying for just eight days. However, technical issues forced NASA to change plans, postponing their return.
By August 2024, NASA announced that SpaceX would handle their return mission. However, due to preparations for Crew-10, the return schedule was pushed further. The latest update suggests they may remain at the ISS until late March 2025 when Crew-10 arrives.
Elon Musk and Trump’s Involvement in the Mission
The situation gained political attention when former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that SpaceX would “soon” begin efforts to bring the astronauts home. Musk later confirmed the news, stating on X:
“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.”
Musk further criticized the Biden administration, claiming they had delayed the astronauts’ return unnecessarily. This sparked debates on whether SpaceX would alter its pre-planned mission schedule due to political pressure.
NASA and SpaceX’s Long-Standing Partnership
Despite political discussions, NASA emphasized its strong collaboration with SpaceX, highlighting that the private company has been a crucial partner in space resupply and crew missions for over a decade.
Since 2012, SpaceX has conducted commercial resupply missions to the ISS, and since 2020, it has managed NASA’s Commercial Crew missions, ensuring the rotation of astronauts every six months.
What’s Next for the Crew-9 Mission?
With Crew-10’s launch scheduled for late March 2025, NASA and SpaceX aim to bring Williams and Wilmore home shortly after. Meanwhile, preparations for the next phase of ISS operations continue.
As the world watches closely, all eyes remain on NASA and SpaceX to ensure the astronauts’ safe and timely return.