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Elon Musk Celebrates Successful Rescue of Astronauts from ISS
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk expressed his congratulations to SpaceX and NASA following the successful retrieval of two astronauts who had been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly nine months. During an interview on “Hannity,” Musk commended the teams for their “excellent work” that led to the safe return of the astronauts.
“Thanks to the excellent work of the SpaceX team working with NASA, the astronauts are now safely home. And so congratulations to the SpaceX NASA teams on excellent work,” Musk stated.
The founder of SpaceX also conveyed his gratitude to President Donald Trump for prioritizing the mission to return the astronauts, emphasizing the importance of decisive action during the crisis.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had been aboard the ISS since June 2024, with their original mission anticipated to last just a week following the launch of Boeing’s first astronaut flight. However, due to technical difficulties encountered by the spacecraft, NASA deemed it unsafe for the astronauts to return prematurely, resulting in their extended stay in orbit.
Wilmore, Williams, Crew-9 Commander Nick Hague, along with Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, finally made their way back to Earth on Tuesday, splashing down off the Florida coast just before 6 p.m. ET.
The long duration of Wilmore and Williams’ mission became a contentious issue for the Trump administration. Musk had previously criticized the Biden administration on “Hannity,” alleging that the astronauts had been left in space for “political reasons.”
After assuming office, Trump enlisted Musk’s help to facilitate the astronauts’ return, claiming they had been “abandoned” by Biden’s administration.
STRANDED ASTRONAUT SAYS HE BELIEVES MUSK’S CLAIMS THAT BIDEN REFUSED TO CONDUCT RESCUE MISSION
Former President Trump criticized Joe Biden for his handling of the situation, asserting that quicker action was needed.
“I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to ‘go get’ the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration. They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!” Trump stated during the ordeal.
During a post-landing news conference with SpaceX and NASA officials, Joel Montalbano, Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, was questioned about the claims made by Trump and Musk regarding political motivations for the astronauts’ delay.
“Yeah, so I wasn’t involved in any conversations with the previous administration,” Montalbano clarified. “It was clear we had a request from the current administration, and the results you saw are what we saw today with the landing of Crew-9.”
Hannity later inquired about the political implications surrounding the delay in the astronauts’ return, prompting Musk to address the communications with the previous administration directly.
“We definitely offered to return the astronauts earlier. There’s no question about that,” Musk recounted.
“The astronauts were only supposed to be there for eight days, and they’ve been there for almost ten months. So, obviously, that doesn’t make any sense. SpaceX could have brought the astronauts back after a few months at most, and we made that offer to the Biden administration. It was rejected for political reasons, and that’s just a fact.”
This incident has highlighted the intersection of space exploration and politics, emphasizing how decisions at the highest levels can impact scientific missions and the lives of those involved. As space travel becomes more commercialized, the involvement of political figures may shape future missions in unprecedented ways.
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