In a joint interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, US President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk accused the previous Biden administration of "abandoning" NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore at the International Space Station. According to Trump and Musk, the astronauts were not scheduled for a timely return to Earth and were left in space due to political reasons. However, Trump and Musk stated that thanks to their efforts, the astronauts will now be brought back within four weeks.
In a joint interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, US President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk accused the previous Biden administration of "abandoning" NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore at the International Space Station (ISS).
According to Trump and Musk, the astronauts were not scheduled for a timely return to Earth and were left in space due to political reasons. However, Trump and Musk stated that thanks to their efforts, the astronauts will now be brought back within four weeks.
Background
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are both experienced NASA astronauts who have served on multiple missions to the ISS. Williams is a veteran of four spaceflights and has spent a total of 322 days in space. Wilmore is a veteran of two spaceflights and has spent a total of 178 days in space.
In March 2021, Williams and Wilmore were scheduled to return to Earth on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. However, the return mission was delayed due to a technical issue with the spacecraft. The astronauts were then scheduled to return on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in April 2021. However, that mission was also delayed due to a technical issue with the Soyuz spacecraft.
The delays in the astronauts' return caused concern among NASA officials and the families of the astronauts. In May 2021, NASA announced that Williams and Wilmore would return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in September 2021.
Trump and Musk's Accusations
In the interview with Hannity, Trump and Musk accused the Biden administration of "abandoning" the astronauts. Trump said that the Biden administration "left them up there" and "didn't care" about them. Musk said that the Biden administration "played politics" with the astronauts' return.
Trump and Musk did not provide any evidence to support their accusations. The Biden administration has not commented on the accusations.
NASA's Response
NASA has said that the delays in the astronauts' return were due to technical issues with the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Russian Soyuz spacecraft. NASA has also said that the astronauts were always safe and that there was no danger of them being stranded in space.
FAQs
1. Why were the astronauts delayed in returning to Earth?
The astronauts were delayed in returning to Earth due to technical issues with the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
2. Were the astronauts in danger?
No, the astronauts were not in danger. NASA said that the astronauts were always safe and that there was no danger of them being stranded in space.
3. What did Trump and Musk accuse the Biden administration of?
Trump and Musk accused the Biden administration of "abandoning" the astronauts. They said that the Biden administration "left them up there" and "didn't care" about them.
4. Did the Biden administration respond to the accusations?
The Biden administration has not commented on the accusations.
5. When are the astronauts scheduled to return to Earth?
The astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in September 2021.
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