During a recent news conference from orbit, stranded NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams addressed questions concerning their extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS) and the political controversy surrounding their return. Wilmore said Elon Musk’s claim that Joe Biden blocked a SpaceX rescue mission for political reasons is “absolutely factual.”
Ars Technica reports that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have found themselves at the center of a political storm while stranded about the ISS. The astronauts, who were originally scheduled for an eight-day mission on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, have been stranded in space for over eight months due to technical issues with the vehicle.
The situation became further complicated when SpaceX founder Elon Musk claimed that he had offered to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth in 2024, but the White House denied this option for political reasons. In a statement, Musk said, “The astronauts were only supposed to be up there for 8 days and now have been there for 8 months. SpaceX could have sent up another Dragon and brought them home 6 months ago, but the Biden White House (not NASA) refused to allow it. President Trump asked to bring them back as soon as possible and we are doing so.”
This claim has been hotly contested by former Biden officials and members of the space establishment. Now, the stranded astronauts have commented on the situation.
During the news conference, Wilmore and Williams, along with fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague, addressed reporters’ questions regarding their extended mission and the political controversy surrounding it. Wilmore expressed respect for both Musk and Trump, stating that politics is a part of life and that they understand the importance of the political system.
Wilmore explained that as part of their training, astronauts are prepared for unexpected contingencies and that they were ready to stay longer if needed. He stated that their transition into the Crew 9 mission and Expedition 72 was seamless because they had planned and prepared for such a scenario.
Regarding Musk’s claim that he offered to bring Wilmore and Williams home in 2024, Wilmore stated that he believes Musk’s statement to be “absolutely factual,” although he does not know the details of the plan.
Read more at Ars Technica here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
Read the full article here