Sunita Williams Stuck on ISS for 8 Months, Trump Calls on Musk for Rescue Mission
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for eight months due to technical failures with the Boeing Starliner capsule. Originally set for an eight-day mission, Williams and her crewmate Barry Wilmore remain in space as engineers work on a safe return plan. Their extended stay has drawn attention from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has criticized the Biden administration for "abandoning" the astronauts. In response, Trump has urged Elon Musk and SpaceX to step in and bring them back to Earth.
Williams Highlights Struggles in Microgravity
Speaking last week, 59-year-old Williams, still sounded perplexed about how she has physically adjusted to living in orbit, seeing her body adjusting to a stick and blurting out gruff sounds after she was removed from the spacecraft after 234 days. During a video call with students at Needham High School in Massachusetts, she said, “I’ve been up here long enough. Right now, I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk. I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down.
Explaining the experience of living in space, she added, “You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here. We initially thought it might be around a month, but the extension turned out to be quite different.
Technical Issues Leave Crew Stranded
Originally, Williams and her crewmate Barry Wilmore, 62, had only planned to stay on the ISS for eight days. But their mission was extended after the Boeing capsule that was supposed to bring them back to Earth suffered many mechanical issues, making both astronauts on the ISS remain there indefinitely.
Williams and Wilmore will remain on the ISS at least until the end of March, as confirmed by NASA. Musk’s aerospace company’s key mission is on as the Crew-9 spaceship will return aboard SpaceX.
Trump Tasks Elon Musk to Rescue Astronauts
The astronauts were mentioned on social media by President Donald Trump during his criticism of political rival Joe Biden, who has accused him of paying insufficient attention to the astronauts. In a recent statement, Trump said, “The two brave astronauts were virtually abandoned by the Biden administration.” He further called on Musk to take action, instructing SpaceX to "go get" the astronauts home safely.
The incident calls attention to the increasingly important role of private space companies like SpaceX in doing essential space operations. In ongoing international space collaboration, the crew of Musk’s Crew Dragon capsules have become essential to NASA’s efforts to maintain and retrieve ISS crews.
Awaiting Rescue in Space
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are scheduled to return home in March as planned. However, their story plays out the difficulties of space travel, and the important part conscientious spacecraft play in the odds. Following the Cosmos rocket carrying the two American astronauts returning smoothly from the International Space Station, NASA has pledged to continue working the SpaceX to ensure a safe and timely return for the astronauts.