Elon Musk wants ISS gone, Sunita Williams pushes boundaries for it’s retirement

The SpaceX proprietor Elon Musk shared an outdated heartfelt video of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore being grateful to US President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk for bringing them again. Video goes viral; see right here.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are making ready to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, after finishing a powerful nine-month mission in house which was initially meant as a brief eight-day take a look at flight aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, their mission was prolonged as a result of sudden technical challenges with the automobile.
The Starliner spacecraft, which carried the astronauts to the ISS in June final yr as a part of its maiden crewed mission, encountered propulsion points that rendered it unsuitable for their return. This led to a revised plan, integrating Williams and Wilmore into the Crew-9 mission. Now, the astronauts are set to return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, accompanied by two different Crew-9 members.

New York, March 16 (IANS) SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission efficiently docked on the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, bringing hope for the return of two NASA astronauts — Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore — who’ve been caught in orbit for months.

Speaking from aboard the ISS earlier, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams pushed again in opposition to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s name for an early retirement of the enduring house station. “This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing,” Williams remarked throughout a press convention. “We’ve got all the power, all of the facilities up and operating. So I would think that right now is probably not the right time to call it quits.”
Williams emphasised that the ISS stays in good situation and continues to play a necessary position in serving to scientific analysis and reaffirmed that it ought to proceed working until 2030 as agreed upon with the worldwide companions.
She additionally specified NASA’s and its worldwide companions’ dedication to maintaining the ISS operational till no less than 2030. “We have probably till 2030 in our agreements. And I think that’s probably really accurate,” she mentioned . “We should make the most of this space station for our taxpayers and for all of our international partners.” Current analysis aboard the ISS contributes to areas akin to medical developments, supplies science, and house know-how, impacting not simply future missions but additionally life on Earth.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk has talked of an early decommissioning of the ISS, arguing that it has “very little incremental utility.” He shared his views on X (previously Twitter), the place he proposed deorbiting the house station inside two years. “It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the @Space_Station. It has served its purpose,” Musk declared. He clarified that whereas the choice rests with the U.S. authorities, his suggestion is to prioritise deep-space exploration.

Musk’s stance aligns with SpaceX’s concentrate on creating the Starship spacecraft, designed for Moon and Mars missions. While he sees the ISS as an getting old infrastructure with rising upkeep prices, Williams highlights its worth as a hub for world effort and innovation.