Elon Musk Claims Biden Administration Rejected Earlier Return of Astronauts for Political Reasons

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth after a nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), initially intended to last only eight days. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, claimed during interviews that his company had offered to bring the astronauts back months earlier, but the Biden administration allegedly rejected the proposal for political reasons. Musk expressed his frustration about the delay, stating it was 'terrible' that the astronauts were kept in space for so long when a return was feasible. He credited both SpaceX and NASA for the successful mission while thanking former President Trump for prioritizing the astronauts' return. The astronauts' extended stay was attributed to multiple technical issues with their spacecraft, which delayed their planned return. This incident has spurred debate over the intersection of politics and space missions, with Musk and others calling for accountability from the current administration.