NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded in space for nine months, broke silence on the reports claiming that their return was delayed due to politics. They said that politics had nothing to do with their extended stay in space. 

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Remarks from the stranded astronauts come after US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk accused former President Joe Biden's administration of postponing their return from the International Space Station (ISS). 

Trump claimed that his administration wanted to expedite the astronauts' return to Earth.

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However on Tuesday (March 4), the two astronauts addressed an orbital press conference, during which, Wilmore responded to the controversy, saying that he totally supports Musk and Trump. 

“Obviously, we've heard some of these different things that have been said,” he said. “I can tell you at the outset, all of us have the utmost respect for Mr. Musk and obviously, respect and admiration for our president of the United States, Donald Trump.”

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“The words they've said, politics, I mean, that's part of life. We understand that. And there's an important reason why we have a political system and the political system that we do have, and we're behind it 100%.”

They stressed that they came prepared to stay long in space, adding, "From my standpoint, politics is not playing into this at all.”

“We came up prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short. That's what we do in human space flight. That's what your nation's human space flight program is all about, planning for unknown, unexpected contingencies. And we did that.”

Also read: Trump orders Musk to bring astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore home

(With inputs from agencies)