US President Donald Trump on Thursday weighed in on the extended stay of Nasa pilots Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station ( ISS), blaming President Joe Biden for their prolonged vision and claiming he has asked Elon Musk to promote their profit.
Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, said,” We have two pilots that are stuck in storage. I have asked Elon ( Musk ), I said,’ Do me a favour. Can you get them out?’ He said,’ Yes.’ He is preparing to go up, I think in two days”.
He went on to note about Williams ‘ look, saying,” And I see the person with the wild mane, good, good head of hair she’s got. There’s no kidding, there’s no game with her scalp”.
The two pilots, who embarked on what was originally an eight-day vision in June 2024, have remained aboard the ISS for nine weeks due to technical problems in Boeing’s Starliner aircraft, including gas leaks and jet malfunctions.
Blaming Biden for the delay, Trump asserted,” Biden left them up that … He allowed that to happen to you, but this leader won’t let it happen. We’re going to get them out. We’re coming up to get you”. He also suggested the situation was harmful, saying,” It can have some problems up there. That would be very poor. You got to get them out”.
Musk, in a blog on X, said,” The pilots were merely supposed to be up there for 8 days and then have been there for 8 weeks. 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”.
Williams, 59, has spent a record-breaking 62 days and 6 days on spacewalks, the longest by any person. In 2012, she also became the first person to complete a triathlon in place.
With Musk preparing a aircraft for the pilots ‘ return, it remains to be seen when the removal will take place.
