Musk Says Biden Rejected His Offer To Help Return Stranded Astronauts
DOGE chairman Elon Musk engaged in an online dispute this week with a Danish astronaut over a claim he made about an offer to the Biden administration that was allegedly declined for what he described as "political reasons."
Musk and European astronaut Andreas Mogensen exchanged words after remarks Musk made during a pre-recorded interview with President Donald Trump that aired Tuesday on Fox News. During the interview, Musk was asked about NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have remained aboard the space station for the past eight months due to complications with their Boeing spacecraft during its first crewed test flight.
"They were left up there for political reasons," Musk stated, implying that the Biden administration prolonged their stay unnecessarily.
Mogensen, who became the first Danish citizen in space in 2015, challenged Musk’s assertion, posting: "What a lie. And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media."
Musk was quick to respond.
"SpaceX could have brought them back several months ago," he replied. "I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and they refused. Return WAS pushed back for political reasons. Idiot."
Mogensen, who himself traveled to and from the space station aboard a SpaceX rocket and capsule, replied 13 minutes later, 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 posted on X, referencing NASA’s schedule to bring Wilmore and Williams back alongside two current space station crew members. "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 issued a statement, emphasizing its commitment to "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 served as space station commander in 2013, also weighed in: "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 refutations, previous reports indicate a different perspective on the situation under the Biden administration.
According to NBC News, Wilmore and Williams initially launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June with plans to stay at the space station for about a week as part of a test flight. However, due to several malfunctions, their stay was unexpectedly extended. NASA ultimately opted to return the Starliner to Earth in September without any crew members aboard.
Just last week, DailyMail.com reported that the "stranded NASA astronauts" expressed they "needed to come back," characterizing their remarks as a "desperate plea" to the space agency.
Wilmore and Williams launched on Boeing’s Starliner capsule to the ISS on June 5, 2024, for what was intended to be an eight-day mission. Yet, the spacecraft experienced issues from launch through docking with the ISS on June 6.
Following extensive testing, NASA concluded that Starliner was not safe for human transport back to Earth and returned the spacecraft unmanned in September.
Three weeks ago, The Associated Press ran a headline stating, "NASA’s 2 stuck astronauts take their first spacewalk together."
Ironically, the current ISS crew is scheduled to return to Earth next month aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.