Two NASA astronauts who have been in space far longer than planned are finally set to return to Earth, but not because of any swift action by the Biden administration. Instead, SpaceX, the private space company led by Elon Musk, has taken charge of the mission to replace and retrieve the stranded crew.
On Sunday, the SpaceX Crew-10 Dragon capsule successfully reached the International Space Station (ISS), delivering four astronauts to take over operations. The arriving team — NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov — was met with excitement as they prepared to assume control.
🚨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
The urgency behind this mission stemmed from the extended stay of two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who had been stuck on the ISS since last June. They arrived aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was expected to return them home after a brief mission. Instead, technical failures forced the Starliner to return empty, leaving them with no immediate way back.
Despite this issue, the Biden administration failed to move quickly to arrange a solution. Fortunately, under President Donald Trump’s policies that encouraged private spaceflight, SpaceX had already been expanding its role in NASA’s missions, allowing the company to step in and fill the gap.
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
Now, Wilmore and Williams, along with fellow crew members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, are preparing to return. NASA has confirmed their departure is scheduled for March 18, when the Dragon capsule will undock from the ISS and splash down off Florida’s coast.
