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Quick Facts

- There is no evidence to support the online rumors. Some reports suggest that Musk's company SpaceX may be a candidate to bring back stranded astronauts, but as of now, neither NASA nor SpaceX has released relevant information. There is also no evidence to support Musk's claim of $350 million.

- On July 10, NASA said at the latest press conference that the first option is still to let the two astronauts return on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, and said that there has been no discussion of letting SpaceX's Dragon series spacecraft go to rescue. Currently, the two astronauts are still staying at the International Space Station. NASA expects that if the test goes well, it may be possible to let the stranded astronauts return by the end of July.

Background

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft was launched on June 5 this year with two American astronauts, Butch Wilmor and Sunny Williams, on its first manned test flight mission, which is the final step in obtaining flight certification for regular commercial space missions from NASA. The spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station on June 6 and was scheduled to leave the International Space Station and return to Earth on the 14th, but later encountered problems such as thruster failure and helium leakage, and the return time was postponed several times. It still remains at the International Space Station, and the two astronauts will stay in space for a longer time to continue to troubleshoot the Boeing Starliner.

Recently, rumors have been widely circulated on domestic and foreign social platforms that NASA has negotiated with Musk, hoping that his company SpaceX can use the Dragon series of spacecraft to help bring back two American astronauts stranded on the International Space Station. Musk has asked NASA for $350 million in response.

Screenshot of online rumor

Check

According to the keyword search in the browser and NASA and SpaceX official websites, no reliable basis for the online rumors was found. The figure of $350 million may come from a report released by Reuters on April 24 this year, which stated that Tesla announced that it would lay off about 10% of its global employees to prepare for the "next stage of growth" by reducing costs and increasing efficiency, but this measure is also expected to cause Tesla to lose more than $350 million.

Screenshot of the report released by Reuters

In addition, there are indeed reports that Boeing may turn to SpaceX's spacecraft for help. The New York Post reported on June 25 that "if Boeing's Starliner cannot be repaired, Boeing's competitor SpaceX may eventually be selected to use its Crew Dragon (a manned spacecraft variant in the Dragon series of spacecraft, in addition to the Cargo Dragon cargo spacecraft) spacecraft to bring the stranded astronauts back to Earth." The article stated that although NASA and Boeing officials reiterated that the current problems with the Starliner did not require SpaceX to lend a hand, the Crew Dragon spacecraft was sufficient for the task. However, the report did not mention that Musk had negotiated with NASA to bring back the two astronauts, and that Musk asked for 350 million for this.

Screenshot of the New York Post report

NASA and Boeing held a joint press conference on the afternoon of July 10 to discuss the first manned flight test of the Starliner at the International Space Station. The US news channel CNBC released a report titled "NASA still expects Boeing's Starliner to bring astronauts back from the International Space Station, but points out that SpaceX has a backup plan." Steve Stich, project manager of NASA's commercial manned space program, emphasized at the press conference that the first choice is to have two astronauts return on the Starliner, adding that "we don't see any reason" to turn to SpaceX's Dragon series spacecraft to bring the astronauts back. Stich admitted that if the Starliner spacecraft returns empty from the International Space Station, SpaceX may be part of the contingency plan, "but we haven't actually discussed sending another Dragon series spacecraft to rescue the Starliner crew."

Screenshot of CNBC report

The Guardian reported that the above press conference stated that in addition to two astronauts, the space station currently carries seven regular crew members, with sufficient supplies and resources, and no one on the space station is at risk.

Screenshot of The Guardian report

On the same day, two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams, appeared in a live broadcast hosted by NASA from the International Space Station (ISS) and revealed the current status. The Associated Press reported that "the two astronauts said that despite the malfunction, they believe that Boeing's spacecraft can safely return them to Earth."

"We run a lot of simulations on the spacecraft to deal with various iterations and failures, and I think, given where we are and what we know now... I feel very confident," Williams said during the live broadcast. "I have a very good feeling in my heart that the spacecraft is going to get us home, no problem." This was the first press conference for the two astronauts on the space station. The two said they expect to return to Earth after the thruster test is completed, but they did not disclose a specific timeline or date.

Screenshot of two astronauts live streaming from the International Space Station

The Washington Post reported on July 10 that NASA said that if all tests show that there are no major problems with the thrusters, the astronauts can return as early as the end of July, "but we will track the data step by step and then find the right time to separate at the right time." Currently, NASA and Boeing are still continuing ground tests to try to find out the cause of the failure.

Screenshot of The Washington Post report

In summary, there is no evidence to support the online rumors. There are reports that Musk's company SpaceX may be a backup option for bringing back the stranded astronauts, but as of now, neither NASA nor SpaceX has released relevant information. There is no evidence to support Musk's claim of asking for $350 million. On July 10, NASA said at its latest press conference that the first option is still to let the two astronauts return on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, and said that there has been no discussion of letting SpaceX's Dragon series spacecraft go to rescue. Currently, the two astronauts are still staying at the International Space Station. NASA expects that if the test goes well, it may be possible to let the stranded astronauts return by the end of July.