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Elon Musk’s SpaceX is responding to a request from NASA to help rescue astronauts stranded on the International Space Station, even as the federal government investigates the company’s billionaire CEO and his various business ventures.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been holed up aboard the International Space Station since they were delivered there aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft in June for what was originally scheduled to be a week-long mission.
The Starliner suffered a helium leak and thruster problems, and after weeks of investigation, NASA and Boeing announced Saturday that the Starliner would return uncrewed and the two astronauts would return early next year on SpaceX’s Crew 9 Dragon mission. NASA said in a statement that NASA and SpaceX are working to reconfigure the mission, which is now scheduled to launch no earlier than September 24 in time to bring the two astronauts home.
The announcement comes after Musk and his companies, including SpaceX, have faced legal and regulatory scrutiny by the federal government in recent years.
Troubled Boeing Starliner to return to Earth without stranded astronauts: NASA
Musk’s SpaceX will help NASA return astronauts to space after the space agency decided not to allow them to return aboard Boeing’s Starliner due to technical issues. (Chesnot/Getty Images/Getty Images)
SpaceX is facing an investigation by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over allegations that the company forced workers to sign illegal severance agreements.
But that investigation is on hold after the company filed a lawsuit challenging the NLRB’s structure and a federal judge in Texas ruled last month that SpaceX’s case could move forward while suspending the NLRB’s investigation.
Last year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued SpaceX, alleging that the company engaged in hiring discrimination against asylum seekers and refugees, but SpaceX denied the allegations, citing export control laws and regulations.
Boeing vs. SpaceX: Who will bring NASA’s stranded astronauts back to Earth?
Musk faces multiple federal investigations and lawsuits related to his business ventures. (Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images/Getty Images)
SpaceX responded by filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Department of Justice’s administrative judges, arguing that they are exercising executive power and should be appointed by the president. A federal judge ruled in favor of SpaceX, and the Department of Justice’s lawsuit was put on hold pending a ruling.
Tesla, the electric vehicle maker whose CEO is Musk, is facing an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) focused on whether claims about Tesla’s self-driving capabilities and certain related statements misled consumers and investors into believing that its cars could drive themselves, according to a Reuters report.
SpaceX Wins Respite from Justice Department Lawsuit Alleging Employment Discrimination
Musk’s SpaceX is facing a federal lawsuit alleging hiring discrimination and illegal severance agreements. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images/Getty Images)
The SEC is also investigating the possible acquisition of Twitter, currently known as X, by an ownership group led by Musk in 2022.
Regulators are looking into whether Musk violated federal securities laws in the investigation, which he has said amounts to harassment, leading him to miss a deposition that a judge ruled mandatory for his participation last fall.
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After the SEC won its lawsuit to compel Musk’s participation, Musk agreed in late May to be interviewed by the SEC on an undisclosed date and agreed not to appeal the decision on the subpoena.
Reuters contributed to this report.
