Additional Coverage:
- NASA seemingly snubs SpaceX owner Elon Musk after returning stranded astronauts home (irishstar.com)
SpaceX Crew Safely Returns to Earth, But Musk Snubbed by NASA?
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, marking the end of their nearly 10-month stay aboard the International Space Station. While NASA officials, including Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich, expressed gratitude to SpaceX for the successful mission, they notably emphasized Boeing’s contributions to the rescue effort.
Stich highlighted Boeing’s “keen interest” in the mission and their ongoing partnership with NASA in certifying the Starliner spacecraft. This apparent focus on Boeing comes as a surprise given that it was a SpaceX Dragon capsule that brought the astronauts home.
Following the splashdown, Elon Musk congratulated the SpaceX and NASA teams via social media, also thanking President Biden for prioritizing the mission. This public acknowledgement stands in contrast to the absence of direct thanks from NASA officials during their press conference. Both Williams and Wilmore expressed their appreciation for Musk and former President Trump in a video posted by Musk, further highlighting the unusual situation.
The apparent snub follows Musk’s claim that he offered to return the astronauts sooner, but the Biden administration declined for political reasons. Former President Trump also commented on the situation, criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of the astronaut’s extended stay.
During their extended time on the ISS, Williams and Wilmore conducted extensive research and Williams achieved the record for most spacewalks. Their return journey began late Monday night with the SpaceX Dragon undocking from the ISS early Tuesday morning, completing a 17-hour trip back to Earth.