Trump Asks Musk And SpaceX to Rescue Stranded Astronauts
Billionaire Elon Musk pledged on Tuesday to bring home two astronauts who have been stranded in space for nearly eight months "as soon as possible" and criticized the Biden administration for failing to retrieve them sooner.
The SpaceX CEO and head of the Department of Government Efficiency revealed in a social media post that President Donald Trump personally requested his help in rescuing astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The pair has been in space since last June on what was originally intended as a weeklong mission.
Plans to use a SpaceX capsule for their return had been in place since Biden’s presidency, but the mission was repeatedly delayed, according to the New York Post.
The two NASA pilots traveled to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner, which was its first crewed flight into space. However, issues with the capsule, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, arose. As a result, NASA ordered the Starliner back to Earth last year after technicians determined it was unsafe for human transport.
"The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @SpaceStation as soon as possible. We will do so," Musk wrote on his social media app, X, Tuesday evening. "Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long."
NASA had initially planned for astronauts Wilmore and Williams to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule by February. However, the mission was pushed back to March or early April due to delays.
While the SpaceX capsule designated for their return is already in orbit, Musk’s company postponed the launch of the replacement crew, who must first arrive at the space station before Wilmore and Williams can depart, The Post noted.
Typically, NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the station for a smoother transition. SpaceX, meanwhile, delayed its capsule’s launch to conduct additional work on it.
Initially, Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), though Ramaswamy has since bowed out to run for governor of Ohio. Both were vocal throughout Trump’s campaign about the need to reduce the size and power of the federal government.
"I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE]," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in November.
'DOGE' is also a cryptocurrency that Musk has often promoted.
"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," Trump said in a statement.
The Department of Government Efficiency is not a formal government agency. Trump explained that it will "provide advice and guidance from outside of government" and "partner" with the White House and Office of Management and Budget to drive structural government reform, according to ABC News.
"This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!" Musk stated, as reported by the outlet.
Trump compared the initiative’s impact to that of the Manhattan Project, emphasizing its scope, influence, and legacy.
"Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large-scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before," Trump wrote.
"I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans. Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending.
"They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to 'WE THE PEOPLE.' Their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026 — A smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. I am confident they will succeed!"