WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump urged SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday to rescue two NASA astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) since last June.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed the astronauts, Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, had been "virtually abandoned in space by the Biden administration" and had been waiting "for many months."

He expressed hope that Musk’s company would bring them back safely, wishing him good luck.

Musk said in a post on X that Trump had requested SpaceX to bring the astronauts home "as soon as possible."

"We will do so," he added.

NASA, SpaceX and the White House did not immediately comment on the reports.

NASA reportedly planned for their return by February but revised the timeline in December, with a new target for their return set for late March, alongside two other astronauts currently aboard the ISS.

Their extended stay followed a malfunction in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft which delayed their return. Despite the extended mission, NASA assures that the astronauts are in good health and that their time in orbit remains within acceptable limits

Trump appointed Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a commission created on the president’s first day in office, with the stated aim of eliminating wasteful spending.