Elon Musk Gives 4-Week Deadline to Rescue Stranded Astronauts Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore in First Interview with Trump

Washington: Elon Musk has announced a four-week deadline to bring back astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly 300 days. This announcement came during the first joint interview with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, where Musk expressed concerns over the extended delay in their return.  

Musk, speaking about the situation, said that the astronauts were initially supposed to stay for just eight days but ended up spending several months in space due to multiple postponements. "At the President's request or instruction, we are accelerating the return of the astronauts, which was postponed kind of to a ridiculous degree. They got left in space," Musk said. 

Musk said that in four weeks they will bring back the astronauts.

During the discussion, Trump extended full support to Musk’s mission, assuring that the return process would be prioritised. "And you have the go-ahead. We're bringing them," the US President said.  

‘Elon Musk, Smartest Person to Work with’: Trump 

The conversation also saw Trump praising Musk’s technological knowledge, calling him the ‘smartest person to work for the US.’ He highlighted Musk’s contributions, particularly through Starlink, which has played a crucial role in disaster response and emergency communication.  

During the interview, Trump recalled an incident in disaster-hit North Carolina, where people urgently required access to Starlink for communication. "I called him (Musk) and said, listen, they really need it. He got thousands of units delivered immediately, and it saved a lot of lives. That was pretty amazing," Trump said.  

The President also noted Musk’s insights on bureaucratic inefficiencies in executive orders, stating that many directives often remain unimplemented.