Elon Musk seems to be on, in the course of the go to of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (not pictured) on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 13, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Elon Musk and European astronaut Andreas Mogensen exchanged barbs on-line after Musk urged in a current interview that two NASA astronauts have been left on the Worldwide Area Station “for political causes.”
The general public spat on X got here in response to remarks Musk made Tuesday throughout a joint interview with President Donald Trump on Fox Information. The pair was requested about NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who’ve been on the area station for the previous eight months, after their Boeing spacecraft bumped into issues on its first crewed check flight.
“They have been left up there for political causes,” Musk stated, insinuating that the Biden administration selected to preserve the astronauts in area for longer than needed.
Mogensen, who in 2015 grew to become the primary Danish citizen to fly in area, took goal at Musk’s unsupported declare, posting: “What a lie. And from somebody who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media.”
Issues shortly turned ugly, with Musk calling Mogensen an “fool” and utilizing a derogatory time period.
“SpaceX may have introduced them again a number of months in the past,” Musk wrote. “I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and so they refused. Return WAS pushed again for political causes. Fool.”
Mogensen, who himself flew to and from the area station aboard a SpaceX rocket and capsule, responded 13 minutes later, saying he has “lengthy admired” what Musk has achieved at SpaceX.
“You recognize in addition to I do, that Butch and Suni are returning with Crew-9, as has been the plan since final September,” he stated on X, referring to NASA’s plan to fly Wilmore and Williams again to Earth with two present area station crew members. “Even now, you aren’t sending up a rescue ship to carry them residence. They’re returning on the Dragon capsule that has been on ISS since final September.”
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose contained in the hatch connecting Boeing’s Starliner to the Worldwide Area Station on
NASA
Mogensen was commander of the area station from September 2023 to March 2024 — his most up-to-date keep on the orbiting outpost.
Neither the White Home nor NASA instantly responded to requests for remark.
Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who commanded the area station in 2013, additionally weighed in on the dispute, reposting feedback he first made on X on Feb. 14.
“Suni and Butch have by no means been ‘stranded’ in area,” Hadfield wrote. “They’re ready and dedicated to the mission, like all skilled astronauts. Suni’s Area Station commander, they’re doing spacewalks, working exhausting on behalf of NASA and all companions, having the time of their lives.”
The spat comes as Musk’s position as one among Trump’s high political advisers has introduced recent scrutiny to his penchant for spreading false and deceptive info. Most lately, Musk has unfold a number of deceptive claims about fraud and spending all through the U.S. authorities.
Wilmore and Williams launched to the Worldwide Area Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024, intending to spend about a week there as a part of the check flight.
Nonetheless, the capsule encountered a number of points, forcing the astronauts to stay on the area station longer than deliberate. Ultimately, NASA opted to carry the Starliner again to Earth in September with nobody aboard.
NASA, below the Biden administration, determined to name on SpaceX to carry Wilmore and Williams again to Earth. Their flight residence had been scheduled for this month, however was later postponed to no sooner than late March. The explanation, NASA stated, was to permit extra time to “full processing” on a new SpaceX spacecraft that will ferry 4 new crew members to the area station.
That flight, often called Crew-10, is anticipated to carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi to the area station.
As soon as they arrive, Wilmore and Williams, together with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will depart the station on a separate Dragon capsule.
New and departing crews sometimes overlap in a handover interval, throughout which astronauts can alternate details about ongoing experiments, upkeep tasks and different protocols.
Musk additionally stated Thursday that the area station must be taken out of orbit and that his advice was to do it in two years, fairly than NASA’s plan to deorbit the ability by 2030.
“It has served its goal. There may be little or no incremental utility,” he wrote. “Let’s go to Mars.”
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