Sunita William's Return: We're coming to get you, the woman with wild hair, says Donald Trump

When Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on 5 June 2024, their mission was supposed to last just over a week. Instead, they have spent over eight months aboard the ISS, after their spacecraft was deemed unsafe for re-entry. The Starliner suffered multiple technical issues during its journey to the space station, leading NASA to abort its return with crew. The capsule ultimately returned to Earth unmanned, leaving Wilmore and Williams in limbo.

A replacement rescue mission has been delayed several times. Initially, NASA considered sending a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in September 2024, but the plan was postponed. NASA later confirmed that Wilmore and Williams will return aboard a SpaceX vehicle in March 2025, after a replacement crew arrives.

Trump’s Take: “We’re Coming Up to Get You”

US President Donald Trump has taken a keen interest in the astronauts’ predicament, using the situation to launch a political attack on President Joe Biden. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump accused his successor of abandoning the astronauts. “Biden left them up there,” he said. “We have two astronauts that are stuck in space. I have asked Elon [Musk], I said, ‘Do me a favour. Can you get them out?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He is preparing to go up, I think in two weeks.”


He went further, claiming that Biden was “embarrassed by what happened” and refused to act. “I would have said, ‘If you’re embarrassed, you gotta get them out,’” Trump remarked.

Speaking to Fox News’ Peter Doocy, Trump also delivered a direct message to Wilmore and Williams: “We love you, and we’re coming up to get you, and you shouldn’t have been up there so long.”

Jokes and Jabs: Trump on Williams’ Hair and Astronauts “Falling in Love”

Never one to shy away from colourful remarks, Trump also made a light-hearted comment about the astronauts’ extended stay together. “I hope they like each other, maybe they’ll love each other, I don’t know,” he said. “But they’ve been left up there. Think of it.”

He then turned his attention to Williams’ appearance in zero gravity, where her hair floated freely in viral images from the ISS. Referring to her as “the woman with the wild hair,” Trump said, “Good, solid head of hair she’s got. There’s no kidding, there’s no games with her hair.”

NASA’s Stance: Not Abandoned, Just Delayed

While Trump has used the situation to criticise Biden, NASA has made it clear that the delay was due to technical issues, not politics. In a statement, the agency confirmed that Wilmore and Williams’ return was postponed for safety reasons. The two astronauts themselves have dismissed claims that they were abandoned.

“We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t feel stuck, we don’t feel stranded,” Wilmore told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “I understand why others may think that.” Williams added, “It was a little bit longer stay than we had expected, but we’ve made the most of it.”

NASA has now scheduled their return for 19 or 20 March 2025, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. They will be joined by two other astronauts, who were sent to ISS in September alongside two empty seats meant for Wilmore and Williams.

Trump’s Space Adventure?

During his comments, Trump briefly joked about joining a mission to retrieve the astronauts. “Should I go on that journey just to be on the ship when we stop?” he asked reporters. Doocy responded, “If that’s an option, yes.” Trump laughed but quickly backed off from the idea, saying, “When they come back, I’ll greet them, how about that?”

With the astronauts’ return now just weeks away, their extended stay has drawn international attention. Both Wilmore and Williams remain committed to their mission and have stayed active, even conducting a spacewalk together in January. But for their families, the wait has been difficult. “It’s been a rollercoaster for them, probably a little more so than for us,” Williams admitted.

As the world watches, NASA and SpaceX are finalising preparations for their return. While Trump has used the saga to score political points, the astronauts themselves remain focused on what matters most: making it back to Earth safely.