American astronauts who faced a harrowing nine-month stay in space instead of a brief mission have given remarkable praise to President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The unexpected endorsement comes after their dramatic rescue from the International Space Station following technical issues with Boeing’s spacecraft.
At a glance:
• NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were stranded on the ISS for nine months rather than their planned one-week mission
• The extended stay was caused by problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft
• They were finally rescued by a SpaceX crew on March 18
• Both astronauts publicly thanked President Trump and Elon Musk for their involvement in the rescue mission
• Musk had previously offered to undertake the rescue, but was reportedly blocked by the Biden administration
Stranded Astronauts Express Gratitude to Trump and Musk
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have publicly thanked President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for their roles in bringing them home safely. The two astronauts were originally scheduled for a brief one-week mission to the International Space Station but ended up stranded in orbit for nine months due to critical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
During an interview with Fox News following their return to Earth, both astronauts expressed profound gratitude to Trump and Musk for their attention to their predicament. Their rescue finally came on March 18 when a SpaceX crew successfully retrieved them from the space station and brought them safely back home.
Earlier reports indicated that Musk had offered to undertake the rescue mission himself, but his proposal was reportedly rejected by Joe Biden’s administration.
Astronauts Express Trust in Leadership
Butch Wilmore made his feelings clear about Trump and Musk in a candid statement. “I respect you. I trust you. You’ve given me no reason not to trust you, either one of them. What they say, I can’t say what they say. I haven’t lived that. But I have no reason not to believe anything they say because they’ve earned my trust,” he said.
Fellow astronaut Suni Williams echoed her colleague’s sentiments. “I’m just glad that they’re involved and they take notice. And, our situation, I think I mentioned before, maybe wasn’t the perfect situation, but allowed a lot of people, including the President and Elon, to look at what’s going on on the International Space Station, take it very seriously and understand that our involvement as a country, as a spacefaring nation, is really important throughout the world,” she remarked.
SpaceX Rescue Highlights Private Sector Success
The rescue mission shone a light on the growing role of private companies like SpaceX in America’s space program. The successful rescue also highlighted problems with Boeing’s troubled Starliner, which experienced the technical issues that led to the astronauts’ extended stay.
Both astronauts stressed the importance of strong leadership in space exploration, whether from political figures or industry pioneers.
