The U.S. Department of Defense has announced the participation of two active military officers in the SpaceX Crew-10 mission that will help bring back NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been stuck on the ISS for nine months. The crew also included Takuya Onishi from Japan and Kirill Peskov from Roscosmos. The event symbolized the strengthening of the military presence in space.
Military space: new dimension
U.S. Air Force Maj. Nichole Ayers and Army Col. Anne McClain, both NASA astronauts, joined the “rescue” mission along with international colleagues. “Our officers’ participation underscores national security priorities,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. While military among astronauts is nothing new (about 60% of them have relevant experience), the Pentagon’s emphasis on their status seems to be a political signal. Especially after the revival of the idea of militarizing space under Trump, who founded a separate branch of the military, the Space Force, in 2019.
Technical failures and political games
Wilmore and Williams have been in orbit since June due to malfunctions of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Although their return was planned even before Trump was elected, the topic has become a tool of political revenge. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk openly criticized the Biden administration for the delays, and the newly elected president added emotion — during the press conference, he jokingly remarked that Williams had wild and strong hair and hinted at a possible romantic relationship between the astronauts.
Musk, whose company is responsible for the mission, also got into a dispute with veteran astronauts, accusing one of them of betrayal. The conflict erupted on social media, where the businessman was accused of impolite behavior.
Can the Space Forces do it?
As SpaceX prepares for launch (it was postponed due to hydraulic problems with the Falcon 9 rocket), the future of US space ambitions remains unclear. The administration is facing budget cuts that could affect priorities, particularly the National Weather Service. According to a Mitchell Institute report, the U.S. needs an additional $45 billion annually to compete with rivals. “Without it, we will lose the next big war,” the analysts warned.
Thus, the rescue mission for Wilmore and Williams became not only a technical challenge but also a reflection of conflicting political, military, and financial interests. Its outcome could set the tone for the future struggle for space dominance.
Earlier we reported on how Starliner astronauts were outraged by Elon Musk’s claims of a botched rescue.
According to defense.gov
