Trump asks Elon Musk to return 2 Starliner astronauts from the ISS for NASA — but they already have a SpaceX ride home

title: Trump Tasks Musk with Retrieving Astronauts from ISS

In an unexpected twist, former President Donald Trump has called upon SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to bring home two NASA astronauts currently residing on the International Space Station (ISS). Trump, who has tasked Musk with leading the Department of Governmental Efficiency, shared his request on his Truth Social platform and Musk’s X.

The astronauts in question are likely NASA’s Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been living on the ISS since June 2024. Their initial mission on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was intended to last just 10 days, but a malfunction extended their stay while engineers investigated the issue.

Boeing and NASA decided against using Starliner for the astronauts’ return journey, opting instead for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. This decision prompted some crew shuffling, with two astronauts making way for Williams and Wilmore on SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.

However, Trump’s request appears to disregard this existing homecoming plan. Musk responded on X, stating that he would act promptly and criticizing the Biden administration for the delay. It remains unclear what "as soon as possible" entails, given that Crew-9’s return was already postponed to accommodate SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission.

Possible solutions could involve bringing Crew-9 home early or switching out Crew-10’s Dragon for a flight-proven one. NASA, however, seems to be sticking with the current plan, stating that it is working expeditiously to return Williams and Wilmore while preparing for Crew-10’s launch.