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After spending an extended nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally returned to Earth. The duo, part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission, safely landed in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which splashed down off the coast of Florida at 3:27 am (IST).

Following their safe return, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk praised both the SpaceX and NASA teams for ensuring a successful mission. He also took the opportunity to thank US President Donald Trump for prioritising their return.

In a post on X, the platform’s owner wrote, "Congratulations to the @SpaceX and @NASA teams for another safe astronaut return! Thank you to @POTUS for prioritizing this mission!"

Musk Claims Earlier Return Was Blocked for Political Reasons

Elon Musk made a bold claim during an interview with Fox News, stating that SpaceX had offered to bring Williams and Wilmore back months earlier, but the Biden administration allegedly rejected the proposal for political reasons.

"We definitely offered to return the astronauts earlier, there is no question about that. They were only supposed to be there for eight days, but they ended up staying for almost 10 months. Obviously, that doesn’t make any sense. SpaceX could have brought them back after just a few months, and we made that offer to the Biden administration. It was rejected for political reasons, and that’s just a fact," Musk stated.

He further revealed that in January, former President Trump had personally requested him to facilitate the astronauts’ return as soon as possible.

Musk expressed his frustration over the delay, calling it "terrible" that the Biden administration had kept the astronauts in space for such an extended period.

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"The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so," Musk posted on X.

Trump also confirmed this on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he stated that he had asked Musk and SpaceX to "go get" the astronauts who had been "virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration." He added that their return mission would take place "soon."

Why Was Sunita Williams Mission Extended?

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were initially sent to space aboard NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test on June 5 last year. Their mission was meant to last just eight days. However, as the Starliner spacecraft approached the ISS on June 6, NASA and Boeing detected helium leaks and encountered problems with the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters.

Due to these technical issues, the Starliner was sent back to Earth without the crew, forcing Williams and Wilmore to remain on the ISS for an extended period. Their unexpected nine-month stay finally ended when SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft was deployed to bring them back safely.

With her return, Sunita Williams is now set to reunite with her family.

ALSO READ: Is Sunita Williams Indian? Know All About Her Husband, Parents, Education, NASA Journey And More

 

 

 

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