Elon Musk said that Russia could help return astronauts stuck on the ISS to Earth

American businessman Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, said in his X (formerly Twitter) account that Russia could help return the CST-100 Starliner crew stuck there from the ISS.

Image source Nikolai Chub, Sergey Ryzhikov/RSC Energia

"Russia is the only other option" he wrote, commenting on a discussion about what ways the US currently has to return astronauts to Earth, other than using SpaceX.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams went to the ISS on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft on June 5. Their mission was supposed to last eight days, but neither on June 18, nor later, Boeing CST-100 Starliner could return to Earth.

Boeing Starliner is a new spacecraft from aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which they created under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This was its first flight, and malfunctions were detected in the spacecraft on the way to the ISS.

Later it turned out that problems in the maneuvering engine and helium leaks in the service module would not allow the crew members to get home alive. Therefore, the astronauts' stay on the ISS was increased, and it was decided to send the Boeing Starliner back without them.

In order to pull out Wilmore and Williams, who were ready for emergency situations during the Boeing Starliner test flight, but were not very ready to stay on the ISS for a long time, NASA decided to turn to SpaceX.

SpaceX is now preparing to send four people to the ISS as part of Crew-9, including Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov as part of the NASA and Roscosmos cross-flight program.

The mission was scheduled to begin in August, but, according to NASA, its dates have been postponed, and it will launch no earlier than September 24. The Crew-9 composition may be reduced to two people so that Wilmore and Williams can return from orbit to Earth on this ship in February 2025. Gorbunov may be denied flight.

Roscosmos has not yet commented on Musk's statement about Russia's possible participation in the rescue of astronauts.