In a video message shared on social media by Musk, Williams jokingly warned, “We are coming back before long, so don’t make those plans without me,” referencing her return to Earth after nearly nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
❤️????????❤️
pic.twitter.com/aAkJRKsu1Q
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 16, 2025
Trump and Musk, close allies, posted the video on their respective social media platforms—Truth Social and X (formerly Twitter). Musk shared the clip on Sunday, adding heart and rocket emojis to accompany it.
Williams and Wilmore have been stranded in space since June last year, when they launched to the ISS as test pilots for Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. Originally expecting to be gone for a week, the mission encountered several technical problems, leading to delays in their return.
As a result, NASA was forced to send the capsule back empty in September, and plans were made for Williams and Wilmore to return on a SpaceX flight originally scheduled for February.
The astronauts’ prolonged stay gained political attention, with President Trump and Musk pledging to speed up their return. The two shared a video of the astronauts expressing gratitude for the support they received.
“All of us have the utmost respect for Mr. Musk and obviously respect and admiration for our President of the United States, Donald Trump. We appreciate them, we appreciate all that they do for us, human spaceflight for our nation, and we’re thankful for the positions they are in,” said Wilmore in the video.
The astronauts’ return gained further attention when Trump commented on their situation, saying, “We love you and we’re coming up to get you, and you shouldn’t have been up there so long. The most incompetent president in our history has allowed that to happen to you… I’ve authorized Elon Musk to go and get them and he’s prepared to do so.”
NASA has confirmed that their return is scheduled for the evening of March 18. The SpaceX capsule carrying Williams, Wilmore, and two other astronauts is set to undock from the ISS early Tuesday, weather permitting. The undocking process is scheduled to begin at 12:45 am EDT (10:15 am IST) on 18 March, with splashdown expected at approximately 5:57 pm EDT (3:27 am IST, Wednesday).
This marks the final stage of an unexpected and prolonged mission that captured attention both in the US and around the world.
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