HOUSTON (Diya TV) — NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), have refuted claims by former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk that they were “abandoned” in space by the Biden administration.
In a recent interview from Orbit, Williams emphasized their preparedness and commitment. “We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t feel stuck,” she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “Help us change the rhetoric, help us change the narrative. Let’s change it to ‘prepared and committed.'”
The astronauts flew to the ISS in June 2024 on a 10-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, technical problems with the spacecraft’s thrusters required an extended mission. Despite this, both astronauts indicated that they were thoroughly prepared for this kind of scenario.
In January 2025, Trump alleged that the astronauts were “virtually abandoned” and called on Musk’s SpaceX to “go get” them. Musk echoed these sentiments, suggesting political motives behind the delay.
Contrary to these claims, NASA had already contracted SpaceX for the astronauts’ return months prior. The agency announced an expedited return date of March 12, utilizing a previously flown Dragon capsule to ensure safety and efficiency.
During their prolonged mission, Williams and Wilmore have been in excellent health and spirits, conducting scientific experiments and normal operations on the ISS. Their endurance is a testament to the intense training and readiness of NASA’s astronaut force.
