After being stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finally begun their long-awaited journey back to Earth. The journey began at 1:00 a.m. this morning after President Trump, who has been instrumental in arranging their rescue via Elon Musk’s SpaceX, issued his final order to NASA by saying, “IT IS TIME.”
After an extended stay on the ISS due to blunders by Boeing and the Biden administration, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally beginning their journey back to Earth. The agency has been working closely with SpaceX to ensure a safe and timely return for the astronauts, who are accompanied by fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov.
NASA and SpaceX met on Sunday to assess weather and splashdown conditions off the coast of Florida, ultimately deciding to target an earlier return opportunity on Tuesday, March 18, based on favorable forecasts. This decision allows the space station crew members sufficient time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected later in the week.
The astronauts’ return has been a topic of discussion in political circles, with President Donald Trump taking to social media to share details about the mission and criticize the Biden administration for “forgetting” about the stranded astronauts. Trump also highlighted the involvement of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in the rescue mission, emphasizing the importance of safety and the urgency of bringing Wilmore and Williams home.
Trump wrote, “This began when I asked Elon Musk to go up and get the abandoned Astronauts, because the Biden Administration was incapable of doing so. They shamefully forgot about the Astronauts, because they considered it to be a very embarrassing event for them – Another thing I inherited from that failed group of incompetents. Elon and I have taken on the project, sending up the SpaceX Dragon, which has successfully docked and, hopefully, while there is always danger involved in such a mission, they will soon be on their way home — Taking off tomorrow, and landing on Wednesday,” he continued.
President Trump said he had been in contact with NASA’s acting administrator, Janet Petro, who is overseeing the return of the astronauts. “She is coordinating our Team of highly respected Scientists, Space Engineers, and various other ‘geniuses,’ who has agreed to let our Astronauts come home long prior to the two week period originally approved by NASA,” Trump wrote, in part. “Janet was great. She said, ‘Let’s bring them home NOW, Sir!’ — And I thanked her.”
Trump added, “Safety always comes first, and maximum standards are being adhered to. But after eight long months for a mission that was supposed to be eight days, IT IS TIME. I look forward to seeing Butch and Suni, and thank you again to NASA and Janet Petro!”
SpaceX’s Crew-10, consisting of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, arrived at the ISS on Sunday to relieve Williams and Wilmore, allowing them to finally embark on their journey back to Earth.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
