Elon Musk on Sunday (March 16) reacted to a video featuring long-stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore expressing their gratitude toward US President Donald Trump and Musk himself. The footage, originally posted by the Daily Mail on March 6, has gained significant traction online.

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In the video, Williams reassured viewers about their return, stating, “We are coming back before long, so don’t make all those plans without me. You know, we will be back before too long.”

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Musk responded to the post with heart and rocket emojis, a reaction that has since amassed over 4.6 million views on social media.

Meanwhile, Butch Wilmore expressed deep respect for both Musk and Trump, saying, “All of us have the utmost respect for Mr Musk and honestly, respect and admiration for our president of the United States, Donald Trump. We appreciate them, we appreciate all they do for us, for human spaceflight, for our nation, and we are thankful that they are in the positions they are in.”

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The video surfaced as NASA’s two stranded astronauts prepare for their long-awaited return to Earth after spending over nine months in orbit. On Sunday, SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS), bringing four new astronauts from the US, Japan and Russia to replace Wilmore and Williams. 

Over the next few days, the incoming crew will undergo a transition period under the guidance of the outgoing astronauts. With their replacements now aboard, Wilmore and Williams are set to return home alongside two other astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. 

If weather conditions permit, the capsule is expected to undock no earlier than Wednesday, followed by a splashdown landing off the coast of Florida.