Elon Musk proclaims that the astronauts “trapped in the ISS” might be rescued quickly, after having delayed their return | Science | EUROtoday

When the house cleaning soap opera that astronauts of the Starliner ship appeared final summer season, Elon Musk and Donald Trump appeared given a brand new script flip with which NASA didn’t rely. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived in June 2024 on the International Space Station (ISS) for a mission of just one week however, given the mechanical issues detected on the primary journey, the capsule needed to return empty To Earth and so they stayed working on the Orbital Station as two extra crew.

Before that end result, a number of months of proof and doubts handed; And now, uncertainty returns to his return date. Musk has introduced, in his social community X, that he’ll fulfill Trump’s fee to carry to the land “as soon as possible the two astronauts trapped in the space station” and added: “It is terrible that the administration Biden has left them there so much time”. Several hours later, Trump confirmed it in his personal social community Truth, additionally carrying his predecessor within the place of president of the United States, whom he accused of leaving them “virtually abandoned in space.”

Trump has put Musk within the function of Salvador of Astronauts: “Elon will soon be on his way. With luck, everyone will be safe. Good luck, Elon! ”He stated in his publication. However, neither the president nor the tycoon have talked about that NASA already had, since August 2024, a plan for Williams and Wilmore returning in February. And a month in the past, its return date was delayed till April as a result of a Dragon ship of the Musk house firm is just not but able to take off the station.

The shocking announcement, which ignores and contradicts these information, got here when the 2 astronauts finalized their preparations to make an area stroll outdoors the ISS. With this exercise, which has efficiently accomplished this Thursday after six and a half hours, Suni Williams has grow to be the astronaut lady who has spent extra time in house outdoors a ship, overcoming 62 hours and beating the file that He additionally held the American Peggy Whitson. This house promenade is a part of the upkeep and scientific analysis duties that Williams and Wilmore are carried out since final summer season they had been built-in into the crew of the station.

The agreed plan then was that each would return in a Spacex ship that took two different astronauts to the station in September. The capsule made the primary journey with two empty seats, reserved for Williams and Wilmore on the return flight, as soon as the newcomer keep was over. Since they gathered, the 4 type the mission Crew-9that the Musk firm operates for NASA. It is a part of a transport service to the ISS of astronauts of that and different house companies, to be a part of the crews that rotate and cross there for about six months. Thus, the station has been completely occupied since November of the yr 2000.

Astronaut Suni Williams is, since October, the commander of the Space Station. Directs the Expedition 72ready for his flip to return to the bottom, on a flight that was initially scheduled for the approaching weeks. However, his return date was postponed as a result of Elon Musk’s firm requested extra time to have a brand new dragon ship – acknowledged and has by no means flown – with which the 4 mission astronauts Crew-10 They will go as much as the ISS to exchange Williams, Wilmore and his two companions.

NASA accepted in December the request of Spacex and now that journey is scheduled for “not before the end of March.” Since the incoming and outgoing crew spend at the least per week collectively in orbit giving the aid on the house station, with that delay the return of the 2 star -shaped astronauts earlier than the start of April cannot be anticipated; And that, in the very best case, if technical issues or climate situations that postpone the mission don’t come up Crew-10.

Williams and Wilmore have been within the ISS for seven months, in comparison with the 4 months of their companions of the Crew-9. They are regular deadlines in that kind of missions, as are the delays in substitute crews. In addition, the house station has continued to reach in current months with provides for his or her seven present crew, which is their normal occupation. Therefore, within the house neighborhood, stupor has brought on the announcement of Trump and Musk, who communicate when it comes to rescue of astronauts to those that take into account “trapped” and even “abandoned.”

Initially deliberate in February

Without denying the US president or the richest man on the planet, NASA has reacted by issuing a press release by which he guidelines an imminent return and maintains his plans: “NASA and Spacex are working expeditively to safely return to astronauts of the Crew-9Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, as soon as it is practical [no dice tan pronto como sea posible]. Meanwhile, the launch of the Crew-10 To complete a transfer between expeditions, ”says the house company.

After their two tweets, neither Musk nor Trump have given extra particulars about their supposed new plans for the upcoming return of Williams and Wilmore. Nor has the White House introduced it. One risk could be that Trump and Musk have made the choice that astronauts of the Crew-9 return to land earlier than the Crew-10however that would go away for weeks or months a single NASA crewman on board, who might hardly adjust to all upkeep and analysis duties assigned to the company. And neither might the switch of obligations between crews be carried out.

Another risk, with which it’s speculated within the house neighborhood, could be that Spacex has resigned to make use of a brand new dragon ship for the mission Crew-10because of new issues. To resort to one of many ships which can be already in service would permit Spacex to not incur extra delays and maybe to launch in February, fulfilling the deadline that NASA had initially deliberate months earlier than Donald Trump gained the US presidential elections.