You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that Elon Musk’s ego can be quite delicate. This past Thursday, he lost his cool after an astronaut called him out on a questionable claim.
The situation escalated when Danish engineer and astronaut Andreas Mogensen responded to Musk’s assertion made during a Fox News interview. Musk claimed that two astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) had been left stranded for “political reasons.”
Mogensen, who flew on SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission, took to social media to challenge Musk’s statement, saying, “What a lie. And from someone who complains about a lack of honesty from the mainstream media.”
Musk didn’t take the criticism well. He fired back with a hurtful comment directed at Mogensen, saying, “You are fully retarded,” while insisting that SpaceX could have rescued the astronauts months ago, but the Biden administration refused to act. He claimed that their return was delayed for political purposes.
Mogensen countered, clarifying the facts: “You know as well as I do, that Butch and Suni are returning with Crew-9, as has been the plan since last September.” He emphasized that no rescue mission was necessary, as the astronauts would safely return on a planned flight.
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth with Crew-9, which launched in September for a six-month mission. They have been on the ISS for over half a year due to technical issues with their spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, that made an earlier return unsafe. Extended stays are not unusual for astronauts; for example, Frank Rubio spent more than a year aboard the ISS because of spacecraft delays.
In a recent interview, both Williams and Wilmore stated they did not feel abandoned. Wilmore said, “We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t feel stuck, we don’t feel stranded.” Williams added that they anticipated challenges with the Starliner and were aware of the situation.
This whole issue has been exploited for political gain, especially by Musk. Just last month, he stated on social media that the Biden administration had requested SpaceX to bring the two astronauts home quickly, claiming it was “terrible” they had been left there so long.
NASA has firmly rebutted these claims, emphasizing that there was no political motivation for the delays. Former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated that safety concerns were prioritized, and attempting to return the astronauts earlier would have increased risks.
Musk’s comments have sparked discussions about his involvement in government funding, particularly after NASA awarded SpaceX a nearly $1 billion contract to manage the decommissioning of the ISS. Musk has suggested that this decommissioning should happen sooner, ideally by 2027, to shift focus toward Mars exploration.
While Musk may push for rapid changes, he must also navigate the complexities of space travel, safety, and the responsibilities that come with his influential role in the industry.
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