Two NASA astronauts who spent months in space waiting for a way back to Earth are finally returning home. The rescue effort, which should have happened much sooner, was not led by the Biden administration but by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the company that stepped in to complete the mission.
The astronauts — Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams — had been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft suffered a critical failure. The spacecraft, originally meant to bring them back after just a few days, had to return to Earth without them, leaving them in orbit far longer than planned.
🚨NASA ASTRONAUTS THANK ELON & TRUMP AHEAD OF SPACEX RESCUE
After 9 months stranded in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return home aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
Wilmore:
“All of us have the utmost respect for Mr Musk and obviously… https://t.co/cKeivzSXfU pic.twitter.com/QlcNpYJa2M
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 17, 2025
The issue was met with inaction from the administration, which failed to secure a timely solution. While NASA weighed options, it was SpaceX that ultimately took responsibility for the return mission. This was possible due to the push for private-sector involvement in space exploration under President Donald Trump, whose policies ensured NASA had commercial partners capable of stepping in when government solutions fell short.
Early Sunday morning, SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission successfully docked with the ISS, delivering four new astronauts who will take over operations. NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov were greeted warmly by the current crew, who were long overdue for relief.
The meeting of Crew 9 & Crew 10 was more than just a moment-it was a promise. A promise that no dream is too far, no frontier too distant & no journey without a way home. Thanks to @Elonmusk & @SpaceX, hope now travels beyond the stars & the impossible is just the beginning. 🚀✨ pic.twitter.com/woG9mnk8bf
— Grace (@4verBeyou) March 17, 2025
Now, Wilmore and Williams, along with fellow crew members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, will prepare for their return trip. NASA has scheduled their departure for March 18, with SpaceX’s Dragon capsule set to undock and make its way back to Earth, with a planned splashdown off Florida’s coast.
NASA is providing live coverage of the mission, tracking progress and monitoring weather
