President Trump&#8217;s NASA administrator nominee, Jared Isaacman, vowed at his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday that America would dominate the new space race with China, with the agency focusing on simultaneous moon and Mars missions without requiring budget increases.
Isaacman <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/senate-commerce-committee-considers-nasa-and-fcc-nominations/658331">testified</a> in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, &amp; Transportation, and when asked by committee chair Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) about the practicality of simultaneous moon and Mars missions, he didn’t flinch.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think we have to make any tough trades here, Senator. I think if we can concentrate our resources at the world&#8217;s greatest space agency, we don&#8217;t have to make a binary decision of moon versus Mars or moon has to come first versus Mars,&#8221; Isaacman told the Senate Commerce Committee in response to questioning about NASA&#8217;s priorities.
&#8220;I think we can do the moon and Mars and beyond,&#8221; Isaacman said in response to similar questioning by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
The 42-year-old entrepreneur and astronaut delivered a stark warning about the growing competition with China in space, declaring that &#8220;space is the ultimate high ground. We cannot afford to cede that ground.&#8221;
When Senator Cruz displayed a poster depicting Chinese astronauts potentially beating Americans to the lunar surface, Isaacman confidently remarked, &#8220;Senator, I only see the left-hand portion of that poster,&#8221; referring to the part of the image showing American astronauts reaching the moon first.
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“Senator, I only see the left hand side of that poster” &#8211; absolute mic drop moment from <a href="https://twitter.com/rookisaacman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rookisaacman</a> at his confirmation hearing today to be the next <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> Administrator! <a href="https://t.co/ylKYIuNBHX">pic.twitter.com/ylKYIuNBHX</a>
&mdash; Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) <a href="https://twitter.com/Erdayastronaut/status/1909989209349255474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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If confirmed, Isaacman would bring significant private sector and spaceflight experience to NASA, having commanded and even personally funded multiple space missions, including Polaris Dawn in 2024, which featured the first commercial spacewalk by a civilian astronaut.
When pressed by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on whether the space agency could simultaneously pursue multiple ambitious goals given possible DOGE budget cuts, Isaacman insisted that NASA &#8220;was built to do the near impossible&#8221; and reminded Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) that NASA already has “a pretty extraordinary budget … it&#8217;s close to every federal law enforcement agency combined times two.”
Isaacman faced multiple questions about his relationship with SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who has been a key ally to the Trump administration. &#8220;my loyalty is to this nation, the space agency, and their world-changing mission,&#8221; Isaacman stated unequivocally in response to the Michigan Senator&#8217;s inquiry, &#8220;NASA is the customer. [SpaceX/Contractors] work for us, not the other way around.&#8221;
The nominee outlined an ambitious vision for America&#8217;s space agency beyond just moon and Mars missions, with his priorities including making NASA financially self-sustaining, investing in nuclear propulsion technology, recruiting top scientific talent, using social media to inspire young Americans about space exploration, and expanding deep space science missions with more probes, rovers, and telescopes.
The renewed focus on space exploration comes as China has rapidly <a href="https://www.space.com/china-moon-base-south-pole-2035">advanced</a> its own ambitions, recently announcing plans to establish a permanent lunar base by 2035. Beijing&#8217;s space program has seen unprecedented growth over the past decade, with successful missions to the far side of the moon and the deployment of its own space station. National security experts have increasingly warned that allowing China to establish dominance in space could threaten American technological superiority and military capabilities.
Isaacman, who founded payment processing company Shift4 Payments and has personally flown to space as commander of the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission, outlined specific strategies to make NASA financially self-sustaining. He emphasized the need to &#8220;unlock the true economic potential of space&#8221; by developing stronger partnerships between the agency, academic institutions, and private industry.
Isaacman concluded his testimony by reiterating his commitment to American leadership in space. &#8220;We will do this not just to expand our knowledge or strengthen our national security, but to improve all life on Earth and inspire the next generation to reach even further,&#8221; he said.
Trump announced Isaacman’s nomination in December 2024: “Over the past 25 years, as the Founder and CEO of Shift4, Jared has demonstrated exceptional leadership, building a trailblazing global financial technology company. He also co-founded and served as CEO of Draken International, a defense aerospace company, for over a decade, supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, and our Allies.&#8221;
“Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113595378122687080">said</a> on Truth Social.

Jared Isaacman Testifies In His Senate Nomination Hearing To Be NASA Administrator

‘Moon, Mars, And Beyond’: Trump’s NASA Pick Promises American Dominance In New Space Race

Elon Musk

NASA

Senate

Space

SpaceX

Trump Administration

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Willians thanked President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in their first interview since being rescued after spending nine months stranded on the international Space Station.
The pair were rescued by a SpaceX crew on March 18 after a problem with their Boeing Starliner turned their week-long planned mission into a nine-month extended stay — and they spoke about their experience during a Monday interview on &#8220;America&#8217;s Newsroom&#8221; with Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer.
Noting that the rescue mission — which Elon Musk had offered to undertake last year, but was reportedly shut down by President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration — had been a priority for both Musk and President Trump, Hemmer asked, &#8220;What would you like to say to President Trump and Elon Musk?&#8221;
WATCH:
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One of the astronauts who was stranded in space for nearly nine months says President Trump and <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> have &quot;earned his trust,&quot; adding their leadership has been &quot;strengthening for our nation.&quot; | <a href="https://twitter.com/BillHemmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillHemmer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaNewsroom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmericaNewsroom</a> <a href="https://t.co/5CmHRzzHKw">pic.twitter.com/5CmHRzzHKw</a>
&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1906737803032985786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I respect you. I trust you. You’ve given me no reason not to trust you, either one of them. What they say, I can’t say what they say. I haven’t lived that. But I have no reason not to believe anything they say because they’ve earned my trust,&#8221; Wilmore said. &#8220;And for that, I am grateful that our national leaders actually are coming in and taking part in our human spaceflight program, which we see is hugely important global significance and they take an active role and based on the past and what we see now with them doing that it’s refreshing – not just refreshing – it’s empowering.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s strengthening for our nation, I think it’s a good thing for our nation when the national leaders, especially something that’s high visibility, are involved in the process and I’m grateful for that,&#8221; he added.
Williams also responded to the question, saying that she, too, was grateful that Trump and Musk had made their safe return to earth a priority.
&#8220;I’m just glad that they’re involved and they take notice. And, our situation, I think I mentioned before, maybe wasn’t the perfect situation, but allowed a lot of people, including the President and Elon, to look at what’s going on on the International Space Station, take it very seriously and understand that our involvement as a country, as a spacefaring nation, is really important throughout the world,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And it sets an example and it shows, you know, our ability to be able to do the hard things, put people in space, operate in space work in space and then bring us back. It’s important and I appreciate that them and many, many, many more people took notice of it.&#8221;

US-SPACE-SPACEX-CREW 9

Rescued Astronaut Praises Trump, Musk: ‘They’ve Earned My Trust’

Rescued Astronaut Praises Trump, Musk: 'They've Earned My Trust'

Donald Trump

General

International Space Station (ISS)

U.S.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he would personally cover overtime pay for two NASA astronauts stuck at the International Space Station for more than nine months.
Trump made the comments in the Oval Office after a reporter asked him about the fact that astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry &#8220;Butch&#8221; Wilmore would <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-astronauts-only-get-five-dollars-top-salary-stuck-space-2047544" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only</a> receive about five dollars per day for every day they were stranded in space. The NASA astronauts were supposed to only be gone for an eight-day mission but ended up being there for 286 days after the Boeing spacecraft that was supposed to pick them up malfunctioned. 
“Well, nobody has ever mentioned this to me,” Trump told Fox News reporter Peter Doocy. “If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket, Okay? I’ll get it for them.&#8221;
Williams and Wilmore <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/nasa-astronauts-overtime.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are</a> only entitled to around $1400 for the extra time they spent in space.
“Is that all? That’s not a lot for what they had to go through. And I want to thank (SpaceX CEO) Elon Musk,” Trump added. “Think if we don’t have him. You know, there’s only so long, even though they’re in the capsule up there, the body starts to deteriorate after nine or ten months, and gets really bad after 14, 15 months, with the bones and the blood and all the things that you’ve been reporting on very well.&#8221;
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“If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket.”
Trump offers to pay for the overtime of the two rescued astronauts, who apparently received just $5 per day in per diem for their extra time. <a href="https://t.co/3mYY3aS07f">pic.twitter.com/3mYY3aS07f</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1903122422867296525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;And if we don’t have Elon, they could be up there a long time, who else is going to get them? And I just want to thank him, he’s going through a lot,&#8221; Trump said, referencing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nothing-short-of-domestic-terrorism-ag-bondi-issues-statement-after-violent-attacks-on-tesla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uptick</a> in acts of vandalism and violence directed at Tesla properties. 
Williams and Wilmore <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/promise-made-promise-kept-astronauts-stranded-during-biden-admin-finally-head-back-to-earth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made it back</a> to Earth on Tuesday after Musk sent a SpaceX Dragon capsule to pick them up. That came after Trump asked Musk in January to “go get” the astronauts after he said they had been “virtually abandoned in space by the Biden administration.”
Musk claimed in February that he had offered to bring the astronauts home early “months ago” but that the Biden administration “refused,” delaying their return for “political reasons,” which NASA officials have denied.

White House Set To Announce Contractor For Next-Gen Fighter Jet

‘Out Of My Own Pocket’: Trump Offers To Cover Overtime For Stranded Astronauts

Air and Space

Executive

Politics

News crews observing the splashdown of the SpaceX capsule carrying NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams — and Russian cosmonaut Aleks Gorbunov — noticed that Crew-9 was being greeted by the locals shortly after they hit the water.
A post on X from NASA&#8217;s Johnson Space Center included video of a pod of curious dolphins approaching the craft after it landed in the water off Florida&#8217;s gulf coast, leaping out of the water nearby as crews approached to aid the astronauts.
&#8220;The unplanned welcome crew! Crew-9 had some surprise visitors after splashing down this afternoon,&#8221; the caption read.
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The unplanned welcome crew!
Crew-9 had some surprise visitors after splashing down this afternoon.🐬 <a href="https://t.co/yuOxtTsSLV">pic.twitter.com/yuOxtTsSLV</a>
&mdash; NASA&#39;s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1902124589636784140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In the video, a female voice was describing some of the safety checks and procedures taking place in preparation for pulling the capsule out of the ocean — but then she noticed something else in the water: &#8220;Wow, we got a cute little pod of dolphins, it wasn&#8217;t just one or two! I mean, that water just looks beautiful. We had ideal splashdown parameters today, obviously &#8230; the weather is beautiful.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance commented as well:
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This is extremely cool <a href="https://t.co/SQYJpSUA2l">https://t.co/SQYJpSUA2l</a>
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1902131566521795054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is amazing. Dolphins were in the gulf to welcome the NASA astronauts home after being rescued,&#8221; another post on X read.
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This is amazing. Dolphins were in the gulf to welcome the NASA astronauts home after being rescued. 🐬🥹🚀 <a href="https://t.co/bsHPStq8rU">pic.twitter.com/bsHPStq8rU</a>
&mdash; Brandi Churchwell (@BrandiNChurch) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandiNChurch/status/1902124111599382897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Dolphin cam!!! <a href="https://t.co/K250W8CEzp">pic.twitter.com/K250W8CEzp</a>
&mdash; Ellie in Space 🚀💫 (@esherifftv) <a href="https://twitter.com/esherifftv/status/1902123576032985131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Right now: Dolphins are greeting the SpaceX Dragon that just splashed down in the Gulf of America,&#8221; The Daily Wire&#8217;s Kassy Akiva posted.
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Right now: Dolphins are greeting the SpaceX Dragon that just splashed down in the Gulf of America. <a href="https://t.co/TMiQjTd6ev">pic.twitter.com/TMiQjTd6ev</a>
&mdash; Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1902122814649385221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;WOW! Dolphins are providing the welcoming committee for Dragon Freedom!&#8221; NASA Spaceflight posted.
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🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬 <a href="https://t.co/45wDD9HWFy">pic.twitter.com/45wDD9HWFy</a>
&mdash; NSF &#8211; NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1902123090886181072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Astronauts who were stuck in space for nine months splashing down in the Gulf of America and immediately being surrounded by a pack of dolphins is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,&#8221; Greg Price added.
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Astronauts who were stuck in space for nine months splashing down in the Gulf of America and immediately being surrounded by a pack of dolphins is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. <a href="https://t.co/XqKauJtFzh">pic.twitter.com/XqKauJtFzh</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1902128146121457967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Williams and Wilmore were initially supposed to stay on the International Space Station (ISS) for one week, but a problem with their Boeing Starliner craft left them stranded for nine months. Hague and Gorbunov arrived on the ISS several months later, and were there for just under six months prior to the rescue crew&#8217;s arrival. SpaceX&#8217;s Dragon capsule is set to be hoisted onto a rescue ship, after which crew members will be allowed to exit the capsule and will undergo medical checks.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Returns To Earth

‘Unplanned Welcome Crew’: Curious Dolphins Swarm Capsule As Astronauts Splash Down

'Unplanned Welcome Crew': Curious Dolphins Swarm Capsule As Astronauts Splash Down

Outer Space

Two NASA astronauts left stranded in space for nine months after a Boeing spacecraft malfunction finally made their journey home Tuesday in a SpaceX capsule, with President Trump saying that they had been &#8220;virtually abandoned&#8221; by the Biden administration.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/03/18/nx-s1-5331907/nasa-astronauts-return-long-space-station-suni-williams-butch-wilmore">departed</a> from the International Space Station at 1:05 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, and splashed down off Florida&#8217;s coast at around 6 p.m.
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SEE IT! Moment stranded astronauts brought back to Earth after they were abandoned by President Biden <a href="https://t.co/2X7DqcKqqU">pic.twitter.com/2X7DqcKqqU</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1902118488204046422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
What was initially planned as an eight-day mission aboard Boeing&#8217;s Starliner spacecraft launched on June 5 turned into a nine-month ordeal when the capsule experienced multiple helium leaks and thruster malfunctions.
NASA ultimately deemed the troubled Starliner too risky for a crewed return journey, sending the spacecraft back to Earth empty while leaving Williams and Wilmore to be incorporated into the space station&#8217;s regular crew.
In January, Trump said he asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to &#8220;go get&#8221; the astronauts whom he characterized as having been &#8220;virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration.&#8221;
Musk claimed in February that he had offered to bring the astronauts home early &#8220;months ago,&#8221; but that the Biden administration &#8220;refused,&#8221; delaying the pair’s return for &#8220;political reasons,&#8221; which NASA officials have denied.
During their extended stay, Williams and Wilmore completed several critical spacewalks and conducted over 200 scientific experiments. The pair, both experienced astronauts with previous space missions, adapted to their unexpected long-term assignment while maintaining a rigorous work schedule aboard the station.
Boeing&#8217;s Starliner program has been plagued by delays and technical issues, with Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/boeings-starliner-return-earth-delayed-indefinitely-2024-06-22/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reporting</a> “$1.5 billion in cost overruns beyond its $4.5-billion NASA development contract” for little results compared to SpaceX, which received $2.6 billion in comparison and has dominated the industry for years.
President Trump celebrated the news on Truth Social, writing on Monday, “[A]fter eight long months for a mission that was supposed to be eight days, IT IS TIME. I look forward to seeing Butch and Suni, and thank you again to NASA and Janet Petro!”

blog-dragon-undock-031725

WATCH: Astronauts Stranded During Biden Admin Finally Land Back On Earth

Biden Administration

Democrats are openly criticizing party leadership after they got steamrolled in budget negotiations, President Donald Trump unleashed strikes on terrorist targets in Yemen, and two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station for months prepare for their journey home.
It’s Monday, March 17, and this is news you need to know to start your week. If you&#8217;d rather listen to your news, today&#8217;s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democratic-party-divides-trump-targets-houthis-3-17-25/id1576594336?i=1000699470192" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>Dems in Disarray</h2>
<div id="attachment_892617" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-892617" class="wp-image-892617 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Schumer-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Schumer-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Schumer-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Schumer-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Schumer-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Schumer-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Schumer-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Schumer-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown this weekend after a stunning turn that saw Democratic leaders give in to Republican demands.
On Friday, Republicans passed a continuing resolution through the Senate, which will fund the government for the next seven months. The bill had already passed through the House but could have been stalled in the Senate by a filibuster. The deadline to avoid a government shutdown was midnight on Friday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who had been vocally opposed to the bill, reversed himself at the last minute along with seven other Democrats, including John Fetterman (PA), Kristen Gillibrand (NY), Dick Durbin (IL) and Gary Peters (MI).
Context: Much of the saber-rattling surrounding the bill was driven by criticism of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Trump’s memetic initiative for cutting government spending headed by Elon Musk. Critics of DOGE have claimed that the executive branch is overstepping its constitutional authority and wanted to leverage a potential shutdown to rein in their activities.
However, behind closed doors, many Congressional Democrats argued that they would receive the lion’s share of the blame for a government shutdown. Democrats are also in a tenuous position politically, as recent polls have found that public perception of the Democratic Party has reached record lows. A recent CNN poll found that just 29% of Americans have a favorable view of Democrats, the lowest number since the survey began in 1992. Recent NBC polling is even more grim for Democrats, finding only 27% of Americans approve of the party.
Some Democrats also concluded that an attempt to force a shutdown to protect their spending priorities could backfire since the president would have more authority to curb government spending and furlough or fire workers he deemed non-essential.
“A shutdown would allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer said, explaining his reversal. “It would give Donald Trump and DOGE the keys to the city, state, and country.”
Backlash: Democrats in both chambers publicly slammed Schumer and the Senate Democrats who voted with him. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), for example, said Schumer’s effort “only makes matters worse.” In perhaps the most remarkable example, Schumer’s counterpart in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), all but threw Schumer under the bus, saying, “House Democrats will not be complicit. We remain strongly opposed to the partisan spending bill.”
&nbsp;
<h2>War and Peace</h2>
<div id="attachment_892619" style="width: 908px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-892619" class="wp-image-892619 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Bomber-Formation-898x576.jpg" alt="" width="898" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Bomber-Formation-898x576.jpg 898w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Bomber-Formation-300x192.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Bomber-Formation-768x493.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Bomber-Formation-1536x985.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Bomber-Formation-2048x1314.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px" />(Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: The Trump administration took drastic action over the weekend to advance its foreign policy objectives, attacking Iranian proxies in the Middle East while making peace overtures to Russia to end the ongoing war with Ukraine.
The Middle East: On Saturday, President Trump announced that the United States had launched a strike on Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen, killing at least 19. The U.S. military attacked by air and sea, destroying missiles, drones, and missile defense systems.
The objective included opening the shipping lanes in the Red Sea, which the Houthis have obstructed for months. Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched more than 100 attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea. But the attack also sends a clear signal to Iran (and, quite likely, adversaries around the world), that Trump is willing to take a more aggressive approach than his predecessor.
Trump designated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization at the end of his first term, a decision former President Joe Biden reversed. Trump touched on this on Saturday, saying that Biden’s attempt to clear the Red Sea “was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going.” The president also issued a warning to Iran, saying: “Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY!”
Ukraine: Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to speak this week for the second time since Trump took office in January. Ukraine agreed to a temporary ceasefire last week, which will take effect if Putin agrees.
While the ceasefire has not yet been finalized, early talks have reportedly been promising: Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, met with Putin late last week and told CNN’s Jake Tapper that the meeting was “positive” and “solutions-based.”
<h2> Space X To The Rescue</h2>
<div id="attachment_892621" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-892621" class="wp-image-892621 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Space-X-Falcon-Launch-3142025-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Space-X-Falcon-Launch-3142025-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Space-X-Falcon-Launch-3142025-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Space-X-Falcon-Launch-3142025-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Space-X-Falcon-Launch-3142025-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Space-X-Falcon-Launch-3142025-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Space-X-Falcon-Launch-3142025-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Space-X-Falcon-Launch-3142025-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: A SpaceX Crew-10 Dragon capsule docked at the International Space Station (ISS) early Sunday morning to relieve two American astronauts who have been stuck in orbit for nine months. NASA&#8217;s SpaceX Crew-10 mission launched from Florida on Friday.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon capsule into orbit carrying a mixed crew from the United States, Japan, and Russia.
Who&#8217;s getting rescued? NASA astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams docked at the ISS on June 6 and were scheduled to spend eight days aboard the space station. They were testing a new space capsule from Boeing, the Starliner. However, the Starliner experienced technical problems, and NASA delayed their return, citing unacceptable risks to the astronauts. Boeing maintained that the craft was safe and could have returned Willmore and Williams to Earth, but NASA had the final call.
During their extended stay on the ISS, Williams broke the record for the most time spent spacewalking by a woman: 62 hours and 6 minutes.
The Politics: According to President Trump, former President Biden effectively abandoned Willmore and Williams. Trump asked Musk, who is SpaceX&#8217;s CEO, to rescue them.
“[They] shouldn&#8217;t have been up there so long,” Trump said earlier this month. “The most incompetent president in our history has allowed that to happen to you, but this president won&#8217;t let it happen. We&#8217;re going to get them out.”
NASA has disputed Trump&#8217;s characterization, saying that the astronauts weren’t stranded and that nine months on the space station isn’t unprecedented by any stretch, considering astronauts have stayed on the ISS for more than a year. But judging by their reaction to the replacement crew&#8217;s arrival, they are definitely ready to leave. They could be back home as early as Tuesday evening.

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A SpaceX crew docked at the International Space Station (ISS) early Sunday morning on a mission to relieve two NASA astronauts who have been stuck in space for nine months.
The SpaceX Crew-10 Dragon capsule docked at the ISS just after midnight on the east coast after launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday evening, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/16/us-news/spacex-crew-10-successfully-docks-at-international-space-station-paving-way-for-stranded-nasa-astronauts-return-to-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. The capsule carried a four-person crew <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-spacex-crew-10-launches-to-international-space-station/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">composed</a> of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
Video from the ISS showed the Dragon capsule approach and dock at the orbiting space station.
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Crew 10 Dragon vehicle arriving! <a href="https://t.co/3EZZyZW18b">pic.twitter.com/3EZZyZW18b</a>
&mdash; Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) <a href="https://twitter.com/astro_Pettit/status/1901144974202118268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Cameras inside the space station caught the moment that the Dragon crew entered the hatch of the ISS just before 2 a.m. EST. The astronauts from the Dragon and ISS greeted each other warmly with hugs and smiles.
“The hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft opened March 16 at 1:35 a.m. ET and the members of Crew-10 entered the @Space_Station with the rest of their excited Expedition 72 crew,” NASA’s Johnson Space Center said in a post on X.
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All the hugs. 🫶
The hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft opened March 16 at 1:35 a.m. ET and the members of Crew-10 entered the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> with the rest of their excited Expedition 72 crew. <a href="https://t.co/mnUddqPqfr">pic.twitter.com/mnUddqPqfr</a>
&mdash; NASA&#39;s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1901149221610271099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Hi everybody down there on Earth. Crew-10 has had a great journey up here, about 28 hours to get back up to the space station,” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/16/spacex-capsule-docks-with-iss-to-bring-back-stranded-nasa-astronauts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> McClain, the Dragon crew’s commander on a live video of the docking. “And I cannot tell you the immense joy of our crew when we looked out the window and saw the space station for the first time.”
“You can hardly even put it into words.” she added, “orbiting the Earth for the last couple of days, it has been absolutely incredible.”
SpaceX undertook the mission to relieve and retrieve American astronauts Butch Willmore and Sunita Williams, who have been on the ISS since June after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft suffered technical issues and had to return to Earth unmanned. Willmore and Williams were originally expected to stay aboard the ISS for just 10 days.
&#8220;It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive,&#8221; Williams <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/science/alien-encounter-nasa-astronaut-plays-joke-spacex-team-arrives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Mission Control after the Dragon crew arrived.
Crew-10 is expected to rotate into roles on the ISS and be trained for several days before Willmore and Williams leave the station with American Nick Hague and Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov.

International Space Station

WATCH: SpaceX Crew Arrives On ISS To Relieve Stranded Astronauts: ‘A Wonderful Day’

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams’ long overdue return to Earth could be just around the corner, thanks in large part to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Wilmore and Williams launched from Cape Canaveral on June 5 of last year on a Boeing Staliner capsule for what was expected to be a brief mission. Unfortunately, the craft suffered a series of issues, including “helium leaks and thruster failures,” resulting in the astronauts remaining on the International Space Station (ISS). The Boeing craft that took the astronauts eventually returned to Earth empty in September.
President Donald Trump asked Elon Musk in January for assistance in bringing the stranded astronauts home.
“I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to ‘go get’ the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113909188940119917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on social media. “They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!”
SpaceX’s rescue launch was scuttled on Wednesday following a hydraulic issue, but the ship launched Friday, carrying four astronauts to the ISS who will have a 6-month stint on the research craft.
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Have a great time in space, y&#8217;all! 
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Crew10?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Crew10</a> lifted off from <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAKennedy</a> at 7:03pm ET (2303 UTC) on Friday, March 14. <a href="https://t.co/9Vf7VVeGev">pic.twitter.com/9Vf7VVeGev</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1900684862035546258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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After some overlap with the stranded astronauts and the new crew, it is expected that Wilmore and Williams will splash down at some point next week.
During a recent interview, Williams said that she and Wilmore “appreciate all the love and support from everybody,” and that they are excited to be coming home.

Europa Clipper

WATCH: SpaceX Launches New Crew To Relieve Astronauts Stranded For 9 Months

Elon Musk&#8217;s Starlink satellite internet service has emerged as a potential solution for the Federal Aviation Administration&#8217;s aging air traffic control systems, with the agency testing the technology even as Democratic lawmakers raised conflict of interest concerns.
Starlink’s internet terminals are being <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/starlink-faa-contract-elon-musk-conflict-of-interest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested</a> at multiple FAA sites for a possible air traffic control upgrade, according to CBS News.
Starlink appears poised to take over the $2 billion contract given to telecom provider Verizon in 2023, with Verizon tasked with implementing fiber optic cables to replace the aging, ground-based communications system currently in place.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has confirmed that the agency is reviewing various proposals, but said no final decisions have been made.
Earlier this week, Elon Musk criticized the existing air traffic control network, posting on X that the “Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk.”
Soon after, he clarified that the “ancient system” he was referring to was created by defense contractor L3Harris and that Verizon’s new replacement technology is “not yet operational.”
Verizon spokesman Kevin Israel told reporters that the company is “working on building the next generation system for the FAA,” adding that they are “at the beginning of a multiyear contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems.”
Bloomberg News reported that Musk recently approved the shipment of 4,000 Starlink terminals to the FAA for potential testing, citing an individual familiar with the matter.
Some Democrats are concerned that this represents a conflict of interest for the administration, as Musk is heavily involved in the administration and donated more than a quarter billion dollars to the Trump 2024 campaign.
“How much richer will Elon get with an FAA contract to another one of his companies? My ELON MUSK Act would stop this blatant corruption,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) wrote on X.
However, the FAA clarified in a Monday statement that they have been testing Starlink satellites “since the prior administration to increase reliability at remote sites.”

In this photo illustration a Starlink logo of a satellite

FAA Tests Musk’s Starlink Satellites For Air Traffic Control Upgrades

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Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy will welcome a team from SpaceX to the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia on Monday as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) looks to Elon Musk&#8217;s company for advice on making &#8220;a new, better, modern and safer system.&#8221;
SpaceX, the leading rocket and spacecraft company in the world, will visit the FAA&#8217;s command center shortly after multiple deadly plane crashes sent shockwaves through the United States in recent weeks. In a <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1891310401800872114" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X on Sunday, Duffy said he wants to seek &#8220;advice from the brightest minds in America&#8221; to follow through on President Donald Trump&#8217;s desire to improve the country&#8217;s air traffic control system.
&#8220;I’m asking for help from any high-tech American developer or company that is willing to give back to our country,&#8221; Duffy wrote. &#8220;Tomorrow, members of @elonmusk’s SpaceX team will be visiting the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in VA to get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system.&#8221;
Musk replied to Duffy&#8217;s post, writing, &#8220;The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer.&#8221;
As the Trump administration continues to give Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project more power and oversight of federal government agencies, Duffy attempted to get ahead of any criticism over his invitation to the SpaceX team.
&#8220;Because I know the media (and Hillary Clinton) will claim Elon’s team is getting special access, let me make clear that the [FAA] regularly gives tours of the command center to both media and companies,&#8221; he wrote.
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The Trump administration fired around 400 probationary FAA workers over the weekend, according to the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, a union representing FAA and Department of Defense employees. Those terminated included environmental compliance workers, aeronautical information specialists, maintenance workers, and mechanics, USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/17/faa-workers-fired-trump-plane-helicopter-collision/78956241007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On January 29, just over a week after Trump took office, an American Airlines flight with 64 people on board collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. All 64 on the American Airlines flight, along with three servicemembers on the helicopter, died in the crash, marking the first deadly commercial plane crash on U.S. soil since 2009. Days later, a medical jet with six people on board crashed in Philadelphia, killing everyone on the plane and one person on the ground.
Federal investigators are trying to determine the cause of the midair collision over the Potomac. On Friday, the National Transportation Safety Board said the Black Hawk helicopter could have had bad data, making one pilot believe they were flying at 300 feet while the other pilot thought they were at 400 feet. The NTSB added that air traffic control&#8217;s instructions for the helicopter to go behind the incoming American Airlines flight could have been missed if one of the pilots keyed her radio at the same time as the message from air traffic control came through, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/dc-plane-crash-new-details-emerge-ntsb-investigation/story?id=118820142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Following the collision, President Trump said his administration would &#8220;restore faith in American air travel,&#8221; adding that air traffic controllers must be &#8220;our smartest people.&#8221;
&#8220;It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. &#8230; They have to be talented, naturally talented. Geniuses. Can’t have regular people doing their job,&#8221; Trump said in a White House press briefing.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-initiates-review-of-all-faa-workers-in-critical-safety-positions">Trump Initiates Review Of All FAA Workers In &#8216;Critical Safety Positions&#8217;</a>

SpaceX Team To Visit FAA Command Center, Advise Transportation Secretary On ‘Safer System’

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President Donald Trump has tasked SpaceX founder Elon Musk with returning two stranded veteran NASA astronauts to Earth after their Boeing Starliner — the company’s first manned spacecraft — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/astronauts-on-boeings-first-manned-craft-have-been-stuck-in-space-for-2-months-nasa-still-isnt-sure-when-it-will-get-them-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">malfunctioned</a> while approaching the International Space Station (ISS) last June.
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113909188940119917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Truth Social Tuesday night, Trump blasted former President Joe Biden for &#8220;virtually abandon[ing]&#8221; astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams and said he asked Musk to focus on sending a spacecraft to the ISS to retrieve the American astronauts.
&#8220;I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to &#8216;go get&#8217; the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!&#8221;
Wilmore and Williams initially left Earth for the ISS on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission. The Boeing Starliner carrying them, however, sprang leaks and lost multiple thrusters as it approached the ISS. After initially considering returning the astronauts on the Boeing Starliner — which Boeing insisted would be safe — NASA ultimately decided against it and hatched a plan late last year to use Musk&#8217;s SpaceX Dragon capsule to retrieve the astronauts. That plan was delayed in December when NASA and SpaceX mission teams said they needed more time to prepare the SpaceX craft, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/28/science/elon-musk-stranded-astronauts-spacex/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
A mission to return Wimore and Williams was pushed back from February to &#8220;no earlier than late March,&#8221; NASA said in a <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/crew-10/2024/12/17/nasa-adjusts-crew-10-launch-date/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> in December. It&#8217;s unclear if Trump asked Musk to bring the astronauts back to Earth sooner than what NASA outlined in its December statement. Musk said on X on Tuesday that Trump requested the astronauts be brought home &#8220;as soon as possible.&#8221;
&#8220;The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1884365928038563880" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. &#8220;Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.&#8221;
During an interview with former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson earlier this month, Wilmore and Williams said they &#8220;have plenty of clothes&#8221; and &#8220;are well fed.&#8221;
“It’s just a great team and — no, it doesn’t feel like we’re castaways,&#8221; said Williams, adding, “Eventually we want to go home because we left our families a little while ago, but we have a lot to do while we’re up here.”

Trump Asks Elon Musk To ‘Go Get’ NASA Astronauts Stuck On Space Station

Elon Musk&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX</a> successfully caught its Super Heavy Booster for a second time after the launch of its Starship megarocket — the largest rocket in the world — on Thursday.
The launch for Starship&#8217;s 7th test flight at its Starbase in south Texas took place in clear conditions. Just seven-and-a-half minutes after launching Starship into orbit, the Heavy Booster, which is 232 feet tall, returned to the launch pad and was caught by two massive metal arms that Musk calls &#8220;chopsticks.&#8221; The feat marks the second time SpaceX has caught its rocket with the chopsticks after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/looked-like-magic-spacex-successfully-launches-super-heavy-booster-returns-it-to-launch-tower" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making history</a> with the new engineering achievement in October.
&#8220;We caught the rocket!!&#8221; Musk posted on X.
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We caught the rocket!! 🚀 
<a href="https://t.co/gVv34W9l2n">pic.twitter.com/gVv34W9l2n</a> <a href="https://t.co/o0vA3XXi8L">pic.twitter.com/o0vA3XXi8L</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1880025214463144071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="SpaceX Catches Super Heavy Starship 7 Rocket Booster" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NMgPE7frhMw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Catching the rocket is important for the space company as it hopes to eventually catch the Starship spacecraft itself, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/science/live-news/starship-test-flight-7-launch-spacex/index.html?t=1737068722896" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported,</a> a development that could save SpaceX money and time as it pushes forward to achieve Musk&#8217;s goal of colonizing Mars.
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Shortly after Starship launched into orbit, SpaceX lost communication with the spacecraft, and it was lost.
&#8220;We can confirm that we did lose the ship,” said SpaceX engineer Kate Tice, according to CNN.
Starship, which was on a test flight, was supposed to go around Earth and splash into the Indian Ocean.
“We obviously need to go through all the data. It’s going to take some time. In the next hours, days — we’re going to figure out exactly what happened, come back, fly the next one, get farther,&#8221; Communications Manager Dan Huot said. “Reminder, it’s a test of an experimental vehicle.”
The launch was initially scheduled for Monday, but was moved back to Wednesday and then moved again to Thursday over inclement weather.

WATCH: SpaceX Successfully Catches Second Super Heavy Booster

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