Musk Says Biden Rejected His Offer To Help Return Stranded Astronauts
Elon Musk, the chair of the DOGE, got into an online dispute with a Danish astronaut this week over a claim that the billionaire inventor of SpaceX made about an offer that was made to the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, but it was rejected for what he referred to as “political reasons.”
“After remarks made by Elon Musk during a pre-recorded joint interview with President Donald Trump, aired on Fox News Tuesday, a heated online exchange erupted between Musk and European astronaut Andreas Mogensen. The two went head-to-head, trading insults in a fiery back-and-forth on social media.”
“During the interview, both Musk and Trump were asked about NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stationed at the International Space Station for the past eight months due to issues with their Boeing spacecraft during its initial crewed test mission. Musk boldly claimed, ‘They were left up there for political reasons,’ suggesting that Vice President Joe Biden’s administration had kept them in orbit longer than necessary for political motives.”
“Firing back at Musk’s claim, Andreas Mogensen, who made history in 2015 as the first Danish citizen in space, took to social media, posting, ‘What a lie. And this comes from someone who constantly complains about the lack of honesty in the mainstream media.'”
“Musk wasn’t about to let the comment slide. He fired back, claiming that SpaceX had the capability to bring the astronauts back months earlier. ‘I made this offer directly to Vice President Joe Biden’s administration, but they declined it. The delay in their return was purely for political reasons. The idiot.’
Just 13 minutes later, Mogensen, who has traveled to and from the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket and capsule, responded. He said he had ‘long admired’ Musk’s accomplishments, despite the heated exchange.”
“You know as well as I do that Butch and Suni are returning with Crew-9, as was planned since last September,” Mogensen wrote on X, referring to NASA’s plan to bring astronauts Wilmore and Williams back to Earth alongside two crew members currently stationed on the space station. “Even now, you’re not sending a rescue ship to bring them home. They’ll return in the Dragon spacecraft, which has been docked at the ISS since last September.”
He continued, emphasizing NASA’s commitment to their mission: “We are focused on safely executing our crew rotation missions and supporting work aboard the International Space Station for the benefit of humanity, as well as future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.”
“Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who commanded the International Space Station in 2013, quickly weighed in, posting: ‘Suni and Butch have never been ‘stranded’ in space.’ He went on to emphasize their professionalism, saying, ‘Like all astronauts, they are highly trained and fully committed to the mission.’ Hadfield, referencing Suni’s commander, noted that the astronauts are actively participating in spacewalks, contributing significantly to NASA’s work, and ‘having the time of their life.'”
“These remarks stand in stark contrast to Musk’s claims, as they don’t align with the reports surrounding the Biden administration’s handling of the situation.”
“According to NBC News, Wilmore and Williams had originally traveled to the International Space Station in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner spaceship for a test mission. Their intended stay was only one week. However, after the capsule encountered multiple issues, the astronauts were forced to remain aboard the ISS far longer than expected. By the end of September, NASA decided to return the Starliner to Earth without a crew.”
“DailyMail.com recently reported that the ‘stranded NASA astronauts’ allegedly made a ‘desperate plea’ to the space agency, claiming they ‘needed to come back.’ This revelation came just a week ago.”
“On June 5, 2024, astronauts Williams and Wilmore launched to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft with plans for an eight-day stay. However, from the moment the capsule was launched, it encountered issues, culminating in its docking with the ISS on June 6.”
“After several weeks of testing, NASA determined that the Starliner spacecraft wasn’t secure enough to transport the astronauts back to Earth. In response, the spaceship was returned without any crew members onboard in September.”
“Just three weeks ago, The Associated Press published an article with the headline ‘NASA’s two stuck astronauts take their first spacewalk together.’ Remarkably, the current crew aboard the International Space Station is scheduled to be picked up and brought back to Earth next month—by SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.”
