SpaceX CEO and Trumps supposed right-hand man, Elon Musk has publicly accused the Biden administration of deliberately delaying NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmores return, despite his company offering a rescue mission months ago. SpaceX could have sent up another Dragon and brought them home six months ago, but the Biden White House (not NASA) refused to allow it, Musk claimed in a post on his social media platform, X. He further alleged that former President Donald Trump intervened to expedite their return, fueling speculation of political maneuvering behind the scenes.

NASA grounded Boeings Starliner after deeming it unsafe for reentry, forcing Williams and Wilmore to remain aboard the ISS indefinitely. Now, in a dramatic shift, the two astronauts will return aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, taking open seats left by departing Crew-9 astronauts.

Musk has previously warned about the dangers of prolonged spaceflight, emphasizing the health risks associated with microgravity, including bone loss and muscle deterioration.

There isn’t anyone else to do it. NASA cant get them. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is the only one that is considered safe enough to bring them back,

Elon Musk

His criticism of Boeings Starliner has been relentless, with NASAs decision to keep the spacecraft grounded further highlighting concerns about its reliability.

NASA concluded that the Boeing spacecraft was not safe. So thats why theyre stuck there,

Elon Musk

Despite Musks allegations, Wilmorerejected claimsthat political factors influenced their prolonged stay. From my standpoint, politics is not playing into this at all, he said during a pre-departure press conference from the ISS. While he acknowledged Musks assertion as absolutely factual, he emphasized that astronauts had no direct knowledge of any White House involvement.

Wilmore and Williams launched on June 4 as part of Starliners first crewed test mission to the ISS. However, a thruster malfunction rendered the spacecraft unsafe for reentry, leading NASA to extend their mission indefinitely. The Starliner capsule later returned to Earth in September without a crew on board.

Meanwhile, NASAs next team of astronautsCrew-10is undergoing standard pre-flight quarantine at Johnson Space Center in Houston. They are set to travel to Kennedy Space Center on Friday before launching aboard SpaceXs Dragon Endurance spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket at 7:48 p.m. on March 12.

Following a multi-day handover period at the ISS, Wilmore and Williams will join Crew-9 astronautsNASAs Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunovfor their long-awaited return to Earth. The four will travel aboard the Dragon capsule, with splashdown expected off the Florida coast. Despite the delays, both Williams and Wilmore remain positive about their experience. Wilmore described it as fascinating and amazing, while Williams expressed excitement about finally returning home.