Fact Check: Photo Showing NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams With Musk & Trump After Return To Earth Is AI-Generated
The photo showing NASA astronaut Sunita Williams with Elon Musk and Donald Trump after returning to Earth is actually AI-generated. It is important to verify the authenticity of images before believing or sharing them online. Misinformation and manipulated content can easily spread on social media platforms. Always fact-check information from reliable sources to avoid falling for hoaxes or fake news.
Claim:
The image shows astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore meeting Donald Trump and Elon Musk after returning to Earth after their extended space mission.
Fact:
The claim is false. The image is AI-generated.
NASA Astronauts Return to Earth
Hyderabad: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore returned to Earth on March 18 after an extended mission that lasted 286 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission commenced on June 5, 2024, but was prolonged due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
In coordination with NASA, Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule facilitated the return, safely landing off the coast of Florida on March 18.
AI-Generated Image Circulation
Meanwhile, an image of the astronauts with Elon Musk and US president Donald Trump has been circulating, suggesting they met after their landing.
An X user shared the image with the caption, “India’s brave daughter Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to earth after 9 months and 17 hours of journey. Many congratulations and best wishes to both of them! Thank you, Donald Trump and Elon Musk for bringing the astronauts back!”
Fact Check: NewsMeter found that the image is AI-generated. Any implication that the image is real or depicts such a meeting is false.
While reviewing the accounts that shared the image, it was found that the image carried a Grok watermark, indicating that it was AI-generated. Several discrepancies in the image also pointed towards it being AI-generated, such as a lack of uniformity in Musk’s face and Trump’s appearance appearing younger with one eye distorted.
The AI detection tool Hive Moderation determined with 99 percent certainty that the image contained AI-generated or deepfake content.
Hence, it can be concluded that the image is AI-generated.
Claim Review:
The image shows astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore meeting Donald Trump and Elon Musk after returning to Earth after their extended space mission.
Claimed By: Social Media users
Claim Reviewed By: NewsMeter
Claim Source: X
Fact:
The claim is false. The image is AI-generated.
This story was originally published by NewsMeter, as part of the Shakti Collective. Except for the headline and excerpt, this story has not been edited by ABP LIVE staff.