Musk Says Biden Rejected His Offer To Help Return Stranded Astronauts
DOGE chair Elon Musk found himself in an online clash with a Danish astronaut this week following a claim the billionaire SpaceX founder made regarding an offer he said was rejected by the Biden administration for what he described as "political reasons."
The disagreement began after Musk and European astronaut Andreas Mogensen exchanged words online, stemming from remarks Musk made during a pre-recorded joint interview with President Donald Trump that aired Tuesday on Fox News. During the segment, Musk and Trump discussed NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have remained aboard the space station for eight months due to complications with their Boeing spacecraft’s first crewed test flight.
“They were left up there for political reasons,” Musk asserted, implying that the Biden administration extended their stay unnecessarily.
Mogensen, who became Denmark’s first astronaut in 2015, dismissed Musk’s claim, posting: “What a lie. And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media.”
Musk was quick to counter.
“SpaceX could have brought them back several months ago,” he wrote. “I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and they refused. Return WAS pushed back for political reasons. Idiot.”
Mogensen, who traveled to and from the space station aboard a SpaceX rocket and capsule, replied within minutes, acknowledging his respect for Musk’s achievements.
“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 stated on X, referring to NASA’s prearranged plan to return Wilmore and Williams alongside two other crew members currently aboard the ISS. “Even now, you are not sending up a rescue ship to bring them home. They are returning on the Dragon capsule that has been on ISS since last September.”
NASA responded, stating that the agency remains “focused on safely executing our crew rotation missions and work aboard the International Space Station for the benefit of humanity and future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.”
Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who previously commanded the space station in 2013, weighed in, posting: “Suni and Butch have never been ‘stranded’ in space. They’re prepared and committed to the mission, like all professional astronauts. Suni’s Space Station commander, they’re doing spacewalks, working hard on behalf of NASA and all partners, having the time of their lives.”
Despite these statements pushing back against Musk’s claims, earlier reports from the Biden administration’s tenure suggest a different perspective on the situation.
According to NBC News, Wilmore and Williams launched to the International Space Station in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, initially scheduled for about a week-long stay as part of the test mission. However, technical problems arose, leading to an extended stay.
With ongoing malfunctions, NASA opted to return the Starliner capsule to Earth in September—without any crew on board.
Just last week, DailyMail.com reported that the “stranded NASA astronauts” expressed that they “needed to come back,” characterizing their statements as a “desperate plea” to the space agency.
The astronauts had lifted off aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5, 2024, with an intended return after eight days. However, issues surfaced immediately, from launch to docking with the ISS on June 6.
After weeks of testing, NASA concluded that Starliner was not safe for a crewed return journey. Consequently, the spacecraft was sent back to Earth empty in September.
Three weeks ago, The Associated Press published a report under the headline, “NASA’s 2 stuck astronauts take their first spacewalk together.”
In a twist, the current ISS crew will ultimately return to Earth next month aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.