Musk and Trump Misstate Facts About Starliner Astronauts: What You Need to Know

In a recent Fox News interview, President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk discussed the controversial claims that NASA astronauts were “abandoned” on the International Space Station (ISS) for political reasons. This allegation comes amid ongoing discussions about the return of NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been on the ISS since June as part of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner mission.

Musk, in a social media post, stated he was asked by Trump to bring the astronauts back “as soon as possible,” criticizing the Biden administration for their extended stay in space. Trump echoed Musk’s sentiments, alleging that the astronauts were “virtually abandoned” by the previous administration.

However, NASA’s account of the situation tells a different story. The agency announced back in August that it had decided to delay the astronauts’ return due to concerns about the performance of the spacecraft that had previously failed in tests. Instead, they planned to send an uncrewed mission to ensure safety.

NASA’s leadership, including then-administrator Bill Nelson, denied that political influence affected their decisions regarding the Astronauts’ extended time aboard the ISS. They stated that the astronauts were safe and capable of returning in an emergency using the Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station. In fact, both astronauts expressed that they didn’t feel stranded, highlighting their preparedness and commitment to their mission.

Musk also mentioned that SpaceX is speeding up the return process for Williams and Wilmore, while NASA recently rescheduled the Crew Dragon mission to launch even sooner than previously planned.

During the interview, Musk and Trump also touched on SpaceX projects like the Starship vehicle and Starlink broadband service. They noted the differences in cost-effectiveness between SpaceX’s rocket programs and NASA’s Space Launch System, emphasizing the need for cost-efficient practices in space exploration.

Concerns about conflicts of interest arose regarding Musk’s advisory role in Trump’s administration. Musk stated he would step back if any conflict existed, and Trump confirmed that Musk would not be involved in any decisions related to space policy. This ongoing conversation reflects the complicated dynamics of private partnerships in the space industry.

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