SPLASHDOWN: Dolphins Greet Stranded Astronauts As SpaceX Brings Them Home Again
The left for an 8-day trip to space... that was last June.
A Corporate Government partnership left them stranded in space… a scrappy startup brought them home again.
In a moment where so much of our attention is spent at tearing each other’s throats out over politics, here’s a moment were we can appreciate the safe return — from the hostile environment of space — some astronauts whose original ride was giving them them some serious trouble.
It FEELS like we’re celebrating an event. And we are. But at the heart of that story are a couple of real people, who were facing an uncertain fate.
Welcome home Suni and Butch!
Thank you Space X, NASA, and Elon Musk! pic.twitter.com/ACxPBOUMNk
— Mr. Nasty Tesla (@TeslaQuirk) March 18, 2025
People who were a long way from home and completely out of the reach of any medical care. We were receiving conflicting reports on just how big a toll being in space was having on their bodies — reports range from tolerable risk to life-threatening.
Welcome home to Terra Firma!
The Boeing/NASA rocket that first brought them to space was fraught with technical glitches. There were concerns about whether it could take them home safely again. In hindsight, they could have survived the trip, but when you’re gambling with human lives, there’s a kind of maybe that pushes us just a little too far.
The White House posted it on social media as a promise kept:
PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months.
Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to @ElonMusk, @SpaceX, and @NASA! pic.twitter.com/r01hVWAC8S
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 18, 2025
And did you notice that the video (courtesy NASA, possibly?) described the splashdown in the Gulf Of America.
NASA posted footage with a surprise appearance of a pod of dolphins:
The unplanned welcome crew!
Crew-9 had some surprise visitors after splashing down this afternoon.🐬 pic.twitter.com/yuOxtTsSLV
— NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) March 18, 2025
As a kid who just barely missed the Space Race — and who watched the rise and fall of the Shuttle program — I have to admit to having a soft spot in my heart for stories like this one.
Especially when we hear former astronauts saying that Elon’s little company that could may have just saved the US space program.
Former NASA astronaut Charles Camarda just gave HUGE props to Elon Musk for what he's done in the space industry:
"Elon Musk saved the U.S. space program."
"If it weren't for Elon Musk, we would not be able to fly U.S. Astronauts from U.S. soil to the International Space… pic.twitter.com/pCIsacvO1h
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) March 18, 2025
Kinda of a big deal, no?
But go ahead leftists. Go and rage at the man because you don’t like his politics.
We already assume you hate the GOP more than you love your country.
All you are accomplishing is proving us right.