The dramatic return of NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from space should have been a moment of celebration—but instead, former President Donald Trump turned it into a political spectacle, falsely claiming credit for their safe return. In an elaborate post on Truth Social, Trump painted himself as the mastermind behind a so-called “rescue mission,” insisting that he and Elon Musk orchestrated the retrieval of the astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS). However, as Gizmodo meticulously breaks down, this assertion is loaded with exaggerations and outright fabrications. The reality? NASA had planned the return for months, and the SpaceX Crew Dragon that brought Williams and Wilmore home had been docked at the ISS since last September. The astronauts were never stranded, never abandoned, and certainly didn’t need any intervention from Trump. As astronaut Wilmore himself put it, “Politics has not played into this at all.”

Key Points:

• Trump's False Claims: The former president asserted that he orchestrated a rescue mission for the Starliner astronauts, despite NASA's longstanding plan to bring them home.
• The Starliner Mission: Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on June 5, 2024, expecting an eight-day mission. Due to technical issues, they remained in space for over nine months.
• Routine Crew Swap, Not a Rescue: NASA had already scheduled a return for the astronauts, with vacant seats reserved on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon since September 2024.
• Trump's Theatrics: In his Truth Social post, Trump claimed that NASA’s new acting administrator, Janet Petro, promptly followed his request to bring the astronauts home “now.” However, the return timetable was pre-decided.
• Musk’s Dubious Role: Elon Musk previously suggested he had offered a plan to retrieve the astronauts earlier, but no evidence has been provided.
• Astronauts' Response: When asked about the political spectacle, Wilmore dismissed the drama, stating, “Politics has not played into this at all.”
• Boeing’s Starliner Woes: This mission marked Starliner’s first crewed test flight, funded by NASA, but plagued by complications that forced the astronauts to extend their stay.

Despite Trump’s dramatic narrative, the facts remain clear: NASA, not Trump, ensured the astronauts’ safe return. But that won’t stop the former president from spinning it into a campaign talking point. 🚀
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