NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the International Space Station on Boeing’s Starliner in June. [Courtesy: NASA]
Key Takeaways:
Former President Trump and Elon Musk falsely claimed that Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were "abandoned" in space and needed SpaceX to rescue them, blaming the Biden administration.
In reality, NASA had already planned for a SpaceX Crew-9 mission to return the astronauts due to numerous issues with the Starliner spacecraft, which had experienced helium leaks and degraded thrusters before returning to Earth uncrewed.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon is currently the sole operational American vehicle for ISS crew transport, and NASA has affirmed the astronauts are not stranded, are in good health, and their extended stay is based on a thorough risk assessment.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday enlisted SpaceX to “go get” Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose anticipated eight-day stay on the International Space Station (ISS) has lasted nearly eight months due to a litany of issues with the Starliner spacecraft.
Except…that was already the plan.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
