Trump says SpaceX mission to return US astronauts to happen 'soon'

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Elon Musk's company SpaceX will "soon" begin a mission to repatriate two American astronauts who have been stranded for months on the International Space Station.

In June, veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the ISS aboard Boeing's Starliner, and were due to spend only eight days on the orbiting laboratory, but technical problems on the spacecraft prompted Nasa to change plans.

The US space agency announced in August that Boeing rival SpaceX would bring the crew home in February, before their return was further postponed to late March due to SpaceX preparing a new spacecraft.

"Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without specifying when the mission would take place.

Musk, who heavily funded Trump's election campaign, wrote earlier on X that the president had asked SpaceX to bring home the two astronauts "as soon as possible."

SpaceX, the private company founded by billionaire Musk, has been flying regular missions every six months to allow the rotation of ISS crews.

In January, Wilmore and Williams said their spirits were still high despite being stranded above Earth, adding that they had plenty of food and were enjoying their time on the space station.

While their protracted stay is notable, it has not yet surpassed Frank Rubio's record-breaking 371 days aboard the ISS, which he completed in 2023 after the Russian spacecraft designated for his return developed a coolant leak.