Elon Musk has made a bold and controversial claim about why two NASA astronauts have been stuck in space for months, suggesting that politics—not just technical failures—are to blame.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were supposed to complete an eight-day mission back in June 2024. However, after reaching the International Space Station (ISS), their return was delayed indefinitely due to issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule. While the malfunctioning spacecraft eventually made it back to Earth, NASA deemed it too unsafe for the astronauts to board—leaving them stranded in orbit for months.
Now, over eight months later, SpaceX is preparing to step in with a rescue mission to bring Williams and Wilmore home. According to NASA’s latest update, Crew-10’s launch is now set for March 12, with Crew-9 returning shortly after a brief handover period. But amid the growing concerns surrounding their prolonged stay, Elon Musk has suggested that the delay isn’t just about safety—it’s about politics.
In a joint interview with Fox News alongside former President Donald Trump, Musk claimed that the astronauts were left on the ISS “for political reasons.” He stopped short of providing specific details but made it clear that he believes their extended stay was influenced by forces beyond technical difficulties.
“They were left up there for political reasons, which is not good,” Musk stated, implying that decisions behind the delay were driven by more than just spaceflight logistics. Trump took it even further, alleging that President Joe Biden had no intention of bringing them back anytime soon. “He was going to leave them in space,” Trump claimed, though neither he nor Musk offered concrete evidence to support the claim.
As SpaceX gears up for the crucial mission, Musk emphasized that his company has successfully returned astronauts from the ISS “many times before” and will take every precaution to ensure a safe landing. Despite his confidence, he insisted that the team would remain “extremely cautious” throughout the operation.
NASA has yet to respond to Musk’s accusations, and UNILAD has reached out to the Biden administration for comment. Meanwhile, the world waits to see how this high-stakes rescue mission unfolds.
