Trump and Musk help bring astronauts home safely
Listen To Story Above
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have concluded their extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), departing after spending 286 days in orbit.
Their journey home was facilitated through the collaborative efforts of President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
The astronauts, accompanied by Crew-9 members NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, began their return journey when the SpaceX capsule disengaged from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. EDT. The crew faces a 17-hour descent back to Earth.
The Dragon capsule’s touchdown is scheduled for approximately 5:57 p.m. EDT Tuesday, with splashdown expected off Florida’s coastline.
The moment Space X rescued the NASA astronauts Biden left stranded.
Elon didn't have to do it, he did it for humanity. Thank you SpaceX!
pic.twitter.com/O1YfyxcDOH— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) March 16, 2025
The homecoming follows significant delays, culminating in President Trump’s direct appeal to his associate Musk last month to facilitate the astronauts’ return.
The astronauts expressed their gratitude to both Trump and Musk in a widely circulated video that both leaders shared on their platforms.
While Williams and Wilmore’s 286-day mission ranks among NASA’s lengthiest space deployments, it falls short of Frank Rubio’s record-setting 371-day stint.
🚨 ELON MUSK: "The Biden White House did not want to have someone who was pro Trump rescuing astronauts from space right before the election. So they pushed it. It wasn't even a NASA decision." pic.twitter.com/uHzxxO6Lqf
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) March 17, 2025
This successful mission return represents another achievement in the ongoing partnership between SpaceX and NASA.
SpaceX continues to demonstrate its crucial role in maintaining consistent transportation services to and from the ISS, supporting ongoing human space exploration initiatives.
