Picture this: two astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, are preparing for a routine spacewalk outside the International Space Station. But instead of focusing on their mission, their scheduled return to Earth has become the center of a political storm. Here’s why it’s a lot more complicated—and a lot less dramatic—than it sounds.

Earlier this week, Elon Musk took to X to claim that President Trump had asked SpaceX to “rescue” the two astronauts, who, according to Musk, were “stranded” in space due to the Biden administration’s supposed neglect. Trump later doubled down, calling out the administration for leaving them “abandoned.”

But here’s the twist: Williams and Wilmore aren’t stranded. They’ve had a ride home waiting for them since September—SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. Their return was originally planned for late February, but a delay in the Crew-10 mission pushed it to early April. It’s all part of NASA’s carefully laid-out schedule, not some grand oversight.

NASA has been quick to clarify that the astronauts are safe and their return timeline is nothing out of the ordinary. The agency has been working on this plan for months, and the only thing unusual here is the sudden, unexpected political spin.

So, while the headlines might make it seem like a space rescue mission is underway, the reality is far less thrilling. Williams and Wilmore are just fine—no dramatic rescues needed.

In the end, this whole saga is a reminder of how easily facts can get lost in the noise of political debates. Sometimes, even space isn’t far enough to escape the drama down here on Earth.