Trump's Uncommon Request: SpaceX to Rush NASA Astronauts Home

In a surprising move, Donald Trump urged SpaceX to expedite the return of two NASA astronauts from the ISS, despite their scheduled late March return on a Crew Dragon capsule. This request poses potential risks to NASA's carefully coordinated ISS operations, highlighting complexities in current space missions.

In an unexpected development, former President Donald Trump has urged SpaceX to accelerate the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station (ISS). The astronauts were originally set to return on a SpaceX capsule late next March.

Trump's call for swift action came after Elon Musk's statement that SpaceX had been requested to bring the astronauts back 'as soon as possible.' This request diverges from NASA's plans and shocked agency officials, especially since Starliner was deemed too risky by the Biden administration to bring astronauts back to Earth. Spokespersons for NASA have not yet commented.

The intricacies of NASA's ISS scheduling mean that any changes could affect station staffing, potentially leaving only one American astronaut onboard. Despite challenges with Boeing's Starliner, which was intended for this mission, ongoing political discourse attempts to shift blame to the current administration. Yet, astronauts remain healthy and committed to their scientific work on the ISS.

(With inputs from agencies.)