Exclusive: Saving lives and leading America’: Internet reacts as stranded ISS astronauts thank Elon Musk and Trump….See More

Netizens react as SpaceX successfully returns astronauts from the ISS after nine months in space.

After spending over nine months stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth, thanks to a SpaceX Crew Dragon mission. Their return was expedited by NASA, citing “favorable conditions” for a March 18 splashdown off the coast of Florida. The mission, which also transported NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, was a crucial step in bringing the stranded crew home.

In a viral clip shared by Elon Musk, Wilmore publicly thanked both the SpaceX founder and U.S. President Donald Trump for their role in the rescue mission.

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 them. We appreciate all that they do for us or human spaceflight for our nation. And we are thankful that they are in positions they are in,” Wilmore stated.

Elon Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the astronauts’ gratitude, pinning the video to his profile. The clip quickly gained traction, igniting strong reactions from netizens. One user commented, “Elon Musk and President Trump, saving lives while saving America and the world.” Another wrote, “On behalf of all sane people worldwide, we thank you Mr. Musk.”

However, not all responses were celebratory. Some users debated the political context of the mission, with one commenting, “They’re thankful because the government is still paying for space exploration, which is their passion. The reality of why they were up there so long was scheduling, not desperation. But of course, you love drama and dragging people out of office buildings with armed guards.”

In a separate post, Musk accused the Biden administration of delaying SpaceX’s efforts to retrieve the astronauts. He claimed, “We could have brought them home six months ago, but the Biden White House refused to let that happen.” Surprisingly, Butch Wilmore later backed Musk’s statement in an in-orbit press conference, saying, “I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says, is absolutely factual … I believe him.”

As discussions about the ISS’ future continue, astronaut Sunita Williams was asked whether she agreed with Musk’s earlier suggestion that the station should be decommissioned and taken out of orbit. She responded, “I actually was extremely impressed coming up here and seeing how much science is going on. This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing. So I would say we’re actually in our prime right now… I would think that right now is probably not the right time to say, quit, to call it quits.”

Now back on Earth, Wilmore and Williams have begun NASA’s 45-day post-mission rehabilitation program to help them recover from the physical effects of prolonged space travel. As they reintegrate, the political and technological debates surrounding their return are likely to persist, further emphasizing the evolving role of private space companies in shaping the future of space exploration.