Things are heating up in space—but not in the way you’d expect. This Thursday, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to step out of the International Space Station for a routine spacewalk. But their return to Earth? That’s become a hot-button topic, thanks to some unexpected political drama.

Here’s the scoop: The astronauts have been orbiting the Earth for nearly eight months, and they were originally supposed to return in February. But a hiccup with the Crew Dragon spacecraft pushed their homecoming to early April. While this delay is part of standard space travel planning, it’s turned into a battleground for political finger-pointing.

Earlier this week, Elon Musk posted on X claiming that former President Trump had asked SpaceX to “rescue” the astronauts, suggesting they’d been “abandoned” by the Biden administration. Trump doubled down, calling the situation “terrible” and urging Musk to act fast.

But here’s the twist: Williams and Wilmore aren’t stranded. Their ride home, the Crew Dragon, has been docked at the space station since September. NASA has had their return on the calendar for months, and the delay was due to a technical issue, not neglect.

So, while the drama makes for headlines, the astronauts are safe, and their return is still on track. The real story here? How space exploration has become yet another arena for political squabbles. Stay tuned—this one’s far from over.