Two NASA astronauts who had been awaiting a way home for nearly a year are finally being rescued, but the government bringing them home is a very different one than the one that sent them up — and left them stranded there for months. Instead, President Donald Trump has tapped SpaceX to carry out the mission that the Biden administration failed to address.
SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission reached the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, bringing a team of four new astronauts to relieve the current crew. The docking was completed successfully, allowing the long-stranded NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to finally prepare for their trip back to Earth.
🚨NASA ASTRONAUTS THANK ELON & TRUMP AHEAD OF SPACEX RESCUE
After 9 months stranded in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return home aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
Wilmore:
“All of us have the utmost respect for Mr Musk and obviously… https://t.co/cKeivzSXfU pic.twitter.com/QlcNpYJa2M
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 17, 2025
Wilmore and Williams originally traveled to the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft last June. The mission was supposed to last just 10 days, but mechanical failures forced the vehicle to return to Earth without them. With no government-led rescue effort put into motion, the astronauts were left waiting for an alternative.
SpaceX, which had gained significant momentum under President Donald Trump’s administration, stepped in to handle the situation. NASA’s reliance on commercial spaceflight has increased in recent years, and with the Biden administration slow to respond, the private sector became the only option for bringing the astronauts home.
The meeting of Crew 9 & Crew 10 was more than just a moment-it was a promise. A promise that no dream is too far, no frontier too distant & no journey without a way home. Thanks to @Elonmusk & @SpaceX, hope now travels beyond the stars & the impossible is just the beginning. 🚀✨ pic.twitter.com/woG9mnk8bf
— Grace (@4verBeyou) March 17, 2025
NASA has now confirmed that the Crew-9 members — Wilmore, Williams, Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov — will leave the station on March 18. Their SpaceX Dragon capsule will depart from the ISS, with splashdown planned for later that evening off Florida’s coast.
NASA will provide continuous live coverage of the mission, tracking the return and ensuring that weather conditions remain safe for landing. The event will be broadcast across NASA’s digital platforms.
