Elon Musk recently clashed with astronaut Andreas Mogensen over claims that two NASA astronauts were “left” in space. In an interview with former President Donald Trump on Fox News, Musk accused the Biden administration of delaying the astronauts’ return from the International Space Station (ISS) for political reasons. Mogensen quickly fired back, labeling Musk’s statement a “lie.”
Musk claimed he was ready to bring Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth but suggested that their return had been postponed unnecessarily. Trump echoed Musk’s sentiments, blaming Biden for the situation. In response, Mogensen shared a clip from the interview, criticizing Musk’s credibility and questioning his honesty.
Musk dismissed Mogensen’s comments, calling him an “idiot” on social media. He asserted that SpaceX had the capacity to return the astronauts months ago but claimed the Biden administration rejected his offer. He insisted that politics were the reason for the delay.
Mogensen, who has admired Musk’s achievements, countered with a calm response. He reminded Musk that the astronauts’ return had been planned since the previous September and explained that they would be returning on a crewed mission, not a rescue ship. Wilmore and Williams initially intended to stay at the ISS for a short eight days, but their mission extended due to issues with their original spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner.
After NASA decided to bring the Starliner back empty, they reassigned Wilmore and Williams to SpaceX’s crew. Unfortunately, the launch of their replacements has been delayed, keeping them at the ISS longer than expected. The astronauts are now anticipated to return to Earth in the coming month.
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