ISS Astronauts Reject Call for Early Retirement of the Station

Elon Musk's assertion that the ISS is obsolete and should be de-orbited in two years did not meet with approval among International Space Station (ISS) astronauts. At a press conference on March 4, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams expressed worries about the future of the ISS and Musk's statements on the Starliner crew.

Musk had stated on social media that the ISS "has served its purpose" and indicated it is without further need, so demanding its de-orbit in two years. Williams, on the other hand, praised the continuing scientific research at the station and noted that they are currently at their peak and so should run until at least 2030, according to the NASA policy. She stressed the vital need of meeting obligations to taxpayers and foreign governments.

Wilmore said Musk's statement about perhaps providing the crew with an early return was not politically driven and had no bearing on their lengthy ISS stay. He noted that even though they were initially wanting to remain only a short time, they were ready for a longer assignment. Though he accepted Musk's statement about an earlier return offer, he noted their insufficiency of information on it.

Former NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy claimed she was unaware of any proposal and Musk has not provided evidence for his statement about suggesting an early White House return. NASA is also pressing on with its Crew-9 Crew Dragon spacecraft plans to bring back Williams and Wilmore to preserve overlap with the upcoming Crew-10 mission.

Williams as well as Wilmore lack special pressure suits since they did not start as a Crew Dragon mission. Still, Wilmore laughs about using a Sharpie to put a name on his suit.

Reference

Space news – ISS astronauts reject call for early retirement of the station

Available at- https://spacenews.com/iss-astronauts-reject-call-for-early-retirement-of-the-station/

(Assessed: 12th March 2025)