A former NASA executive and International Space Station (ISS) astronauts have denied claims by Elon Musk that SpaceX offered to return them to Earth early. The story, reminiscent of a space thriller, broke after Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft suffered technical glitches that left astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams stranded in orbit for more than 8 months.
Political turmoil amidst technical problems
On June 6, 2023, Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS on the Starliner, which was scheduled to return them a week later. However, helium leaks and engine failures forced NASA to continue their mission. The agency later recognized the Boeing capsule to be unsafe enough to return, choosing SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft for the evacuation.
This situation has been used in their political games by Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. Musk claimed he offered the Biden administration an early return of the astronauts but was denied due to “political motivations.” However, the astronauts themselves, former NASA administrator Bill Nelson and his colleagues deny any talks with SpaceX.
“We were not aware of any such proposals at all. We were just informed of the change in plans,” Wilmore said during a press conference from the ISS. Nelson added that the decision to use Dragon was made solely for safety reasons, and financial constraints made launching an additional spacecraft impossible.
Resonance in the society
The conflict over the mission has come to symbolize the rivalry between SpaceX and Boeing as well as political differences. Elon Musk, known for his fanatical support of Donald Trump, accused Democrats of bias. Although NASA insists: the decisions were based solely on technical expertise.
Former NASA deputy chief Pam Melroy confirmed, “No formal proposal has been received from SpaceX.” This calls into question the truthfulness of Musk’s claims, although he may have made informal suggestions through “low-level” employees.
Changes in crew evacuation plans
The return was initially scheduled for February, but due to identified problems with the newly built Crew Dragon spacecraft for the next Crew-10 mission, the date was pushed back to the end of March. In February, NASA changed its strategy, deciding to use SpaceX’s proven capsule instead of a new one.
“SpaceX’s flexibility allows us to adapt to unforeseen circumstances,” explained Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial program manager. According to him, it was the partnership with the private sector that saved the situation.
The astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth at the end of March on Dragon – nearly nine months after launch. Their story emphasizes the complexity of space missions and the importance of backup solutions. And the question of whether the rescue operation has turned into a political game remains open.
Earlier we reported on how Elon Musk bullied NASA employees.
According to The Washington Post
