Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully launched a rescue mission on March 14, 2025, to retrieve NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024. The astronauts were part of Boeing’s Starliner test flight, intended to last just eight days, but technical issues with the spacecraft—specifically thruster malfunctions and helium leaks—made it unsafe for their return, forcing NASA to send the Starliner back to Earth empty in September 2024. SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, already docked at the ISS, was scheduled to bring them home, but their return required a new crew to replace them to maintain ISS operations. The Crew-10 mission, carrying four astronauts, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, docking at the ISS late on March 15, 2025, paving the way for Williams and Wilmore to return with two other crew members by the end of the month. Musk’s involvement, while framed as a “rescue” by him and President Trump, was part of a pre-existing NASA plan, though their public narrative emphasized SpaceX’s role as a solution to alleged delays by the Biden administration.

The delay in bringing Williams and Wilmore back stemmed from a combination of technical, logistical, and procedural challenges, rather than the political motivations Musk and Trump suggested. After the Starliner’s issues were identified, NASA and Boeing spent weeks investigating the spacecraft’s thrusters to determine if it could safely return the astronauts, ultimately deciding against it to prioritize safety—a decision informed by past tragedies like the Challenger and Columbia disasters. NASA then coordinated with SpaceX to use a Crew Dragon capsule for the return, but this required scheduling around ISS crew rotations, as the station cannot be left understaffed. The Crew-10 launch, originally set for late March or early April, was delayed to March 12 due to the need for additional time to prepare a new SpaceX vehicle, and then scrubbed due to a hydraulic ground issue, finally launching on March 14. NASA officials, including Ken Bowersox and Steve Stich, emphasized that the timeline adjustments were driven by technical and operational factors, not political pressure, despite Musk’s claims that the Biden administration delayed the return for political reasons.

Musk’s narrative of a dramatic rescue has been contentious, with some astronauts and NASA officials pushing back against the idea that Williams and Wilmore were “stranded.” The astronauts themselves, in interviews, expressed they were well-prepared, had ample supplies, and were actively contributing to ISS research—hardly abandoned. Musk’s assertion that he offered to rescue them earlier but was rebuffed by the Biden administration lacks corroboration from NASA leadership, with former officials like Pam Melroy and Bill Nelson stating they were unaware of any such offer. The public spat, including Musk’s heated exchanges with astronauts like Andreas Mogensen on X, highlights the tension between Musk’s self-promotion and NASA’s methodical approach. While SpaceX’s reliability has made it indispensable to NASA—evidenced by its role in this mission and its dominance in crewed flights since 2020—the delay was a result of NASA’s commitment to safety and operational continuity, not political gamesmanship, despite the rhetoric from Musk and Trump.