NASA officials have credited President Donald Trump with playing a pivotal role in the safe return of two American astronauts who had been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months. The rescue mission, which brought Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams back to Earth on March 18, was celebrated as a significant achievement for the Trump administration and its renewed commitment to space exploration.
NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens emphasized that the astronauts’ return would not have been possible without Trump’s direct involvement, calling it a “huge win” for his administration. She highlighted the crucial role of his leadership in ensuring the astronauts were not left stranded in orbit. “This is a huge win for the Trump administration. And it would not have happened without President Trump’s intervention. Up next on the docket, to continue implementing President Trump’s ambitious space agenda that he touted in his inaugural address, is to confirm his nominee for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman,” Stevens said to Fox News.
The astronauts’ extended mission on the ISS resulted from technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which experienced helium leaks and thruster malfunctions that rendered it unsafe for reentry. Ultimately, NASA decided to use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule for the rescue. Trump claimed he expedited their return by instructing SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to prioritize the mission—a move he argued was neglected under the Biden administration. The prolonged mission had become a political flashpoint, with Trump accusing the previous administration of delaying action over concerns that the Starliner failures would cause political embarrassment.
Trump has pledged to honor the astronauts by inviting them to the White House once they’ve recovered. He also emphasized the financial sacrifices they endure, offering to personally cover any extra compensation since they only receive a $5 daily allowance for extended missions. Stevens emphasized that Trump’s nominee for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, is well-suited to advance the administration’s ambitious goals for space exploration.
“President Trump was also once considered an outsider, and the American people have put him back into office, just showing how much they appreciate the business side that he brings to the table. And Mr. Isaacman also has a background as an entrepreneur of an extremely successful business,” Stevens explained. Trump’s space agenda focuses on advancing human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, emphasizing lunar missions and the long-term goal of reaching Mars. Stevens emphasized that time is crucial.
“We were going to go to the moon and to Mars and beyond, and we have less than four years at this point to get through that considerably ambitious agenda,” Stevens added. “And we need to implement his leadership here at NASA in order to get the ball rolling there. So I think that’s the next step towards being America First in Space.”