Topics: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, NASA, Space
One of the stranded NASA astronauts has admitted that being in space for so long has started to take its toll.
What was meant to be a simple eight-day round mission has been extended extensively.
On June 5, 2024, NASA's Boeing Starliner Calypso launched astronauts Sunita 'Suni' Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore into space for a trip to the International Space Station (ISS).
As the Boeing Starliner Calypso approached the ISS, the capsule's thrusters malfunctioned and NASA ruled it too dangerous for Williams and Wilmore to return to Earth onboard the space vehicle as planned.
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Eight months later and the pair still haven’t returned, having their trip back postponed multiple times. Due to the postponements, concerns have grown for the well-being of the two astronauts.
NASA previously addressed this and told LADbible Group: "All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station undergo routine medical evaluations, have dedicated flight surgeons monitoring them, and are in good health."
As things currently stand, Williams and Wilmore are expected to return in late March 2025, as NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 is set to be sent to the ISS.
Recently speaking on a call to students at Needham High School in Massachusetts, Williams admitted that being there for so long has meant she's forgotten how to do basic human functions.
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. I haven't laid down."
Despite the expectation that the pair will be coming back to Earth soon, Donald Trump has weighed in on the situation and called on Elon Musk to speed up the process.
Writing on Truth Social on January 28, he argued that the astronauts had been abandoned by the Joe Biden administration.
He wrote: "I have just asked Elon Musk and Space X to 'go get' the two brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration.
"They have been waiting for many months on Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!"
Despite the accusations from Trump, NASA states it and SpaceX 'assessed various options for managing the next crewed handover, including using another Dragon spacecraft and manifest adjustments'.
"After careful consideration, the team determined that launching Crew-10 in late March, following completion of the new Dragon spacecraft, was the best option for meeting NASA’s requirements and achieving space station objectives for 2025," its blog post resolved.
