Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Disturbing reason NASA 'abandoned' stranded astronauts in space, according to experts
The Daily Mail ^ | 23 Feb 2025 | ELLYN LAPOINTE

Posted on 02/23/2025 3:57:19 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

A public blame-game has erupted over who's responsible for leaving two NASA astronauts stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) for over eight months.

Last week, Elon Musk blamed NASA's choice to extend Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore's ISS mission on 'political reasons' during a FOX News joint interview with President Donald Trump, who added that Biden was going to 'leave them in space.'

Rudy Ridolfi, a respected former Space System Commander in the US military, told DailyMail.com that 'the Biden administration's vitriolic hate for Elon' may have influenced how NASA handled the situation.

Williams and Wilmore embarked on what was supposed to be an eight-day ISS mission aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft last June. But their capsule was plagued by thruster issues and helium leaks before, during and after the launch.

These numerous technical issues drove NASA to postpone the astronauts' return flight, but the agency still entertained the possibility of using Starliner to bring them home and gave Boeing more than 12 weeks to try and fix the issues from the ground.

In late August, NASA officials decided there was still too much uncertainty about Starliner's performance and tapped SpaceX to bring Williams and Wilmore home instead, sending Starliner home uncrewed the following month.

But 'Elon coming to the rescue was not in the cards,' Ridolfi said. He suggested the reason NASA did not tap SpaceX sooner may have been due to the Biden administration's contentious relationship with its CEO, Musk.

'The Biden Administration relying on SpaceX to return the astronauts would put its decisions on Starliner into question,' he said. 'In their world, Boeing was the leading space company.'

Since that August decision, Williams and Wilmore's return date has been changed multiple times. Currently, NASA is aiming to bring them home around March 19 or 20.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: astronauts; boeing; iss; marooned; spaceoddity; spacex; starjunker; starliner; starstinker; stranded
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

1 posted on 02/23/2025 3:57:19 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

MASA is a government agency and subject to its politics.
Who wants to risk their life for that crap? Not me.


2 posted on 02/23/2025 3:59:43 PM PST by CodeToad ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Are they republicans?


3 posted on 02/23/2025 4:00:48 PM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Never mind about this.

Let’s talk about “the bloodbath at USAID.”


4 posted on 02/23/2025 4:02:02 PM PST by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Democrats are beyond despicable.

If you want to know what human life means to them, this situation is a perfect example.


5 posted on 02/23/2025 4:02:31 PM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
Disturbing reason NASA 'abandoned' stranded astronauts...

Um, they were 'abandoned' on the full-scale ISS mockup in an on the ground NASA pool (complete with green screens)?

6 posted on 02/23/2025 4:10:08 PM PST by C210N (Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bonemaker
Are they republicans?

I was rather wondering the same thing.

7 posted on 02/23/2025 4:10:48 PM PST by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of USAF pilot. Both bitten by the aviation bug)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Bonemaker

Are they republicans?


That doesn’t matter. They tend to betray their own.


8 posted on 02/23/2025 4:12:28 PM PST by Cold_Red_Steel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Now scheduled to return 5 March.


9 posted on 02/23/2025 4:12:52 PM PST by grobdriver (The CDC can KMA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: metmom

The demonrat party is of satan, no doubt about it.


10 posted on 02/23/2025 4:18:39 PM PST by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Bonemaker

I’m not sure.


11 posted on 02/23/2025 4:18:55 PM PST by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Sad thing is, everyone wants more than one US human rated launch provider to the ISS. Everyone wants Boeing to succeed.


12 posted on 02/23/2025 4:21:14 PM PST by TheDon (Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: metmom

Apollo 13: “Failure is not an option.”

Joe Biden about Wilmore and Williams’ return: “Who cares about them? Not me!”


13 posted on 02/23/2025 4:21:14 PM PST by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: TheDon
Sad thing is, everyone wants more than one US human rated launch provider to the ISS. Everyone wants Boeing to succeed.

Boeing is like the government. Too big. Too corrupt.

Maybe Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin?

14 posted on 02/23/2025 4:23:17 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

3 hour tour.

Those poor people.


15 posted on 02/23/2025 4:24:06 PM PST by Raycpa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: metmom

Human life and well being only pertain to them.


16 posted on 02/23/2025 4:25:29 PM PST by Omnivore-Dan (Shut)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Raycpa

Thay are playing handball with their own crap by now.


17 posted on 02/23/2025 4:27:06 PM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Note, when you see a newspaper article with a title like “NO, they’re not stranded”, you can reasonably assume from the dripping condescension that they are lying.

“No, Boeing Starliner’s NASA astronauts are not stranded in space. Here’s why.” | Space https://search.app/rincBQYHdWWvMKY9A


18 posted on 02/23/2025 4:28:15 PM PST by coloradan (They're not the mainstream media, they're the gaslight media. It's what they do. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grobdriver
March 5? So Ash Wednesday could be Splash Wednesday?

Or will Elon catch their spaceship on dry land?

19 posted on 02/23/2025 4:31:42 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

If Boeing was all that and a bag of chips, they would’ve had them home by now. Therefore Boeing sux. Leave it to Space X to get the job done.


20 posted on 02/23/2025 4:37:52 PM PST by LastDayz (A Blunt and Brazen Texan. I Will Not Be Assimilated.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson