Elon Musk was caught in a social media spat with Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen who called Elon Musk a liar after he recently claimed in a Fox interview that Nasa scientists Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore’s return from space had been delayed because of political reasons. Elon Musk appeared in that interview along with President Donald Trump. When they were asked about the Nasa astronauts’ return and the role of Musk’s SpaceX in it, Musk insinuated that Joe Biden’s administration chose to keep the astronauts in space.
“They were left up there for political reasons,” Elon Musk said adding that it would take four weeks to bring them back.
“You now have the go-ahead,” Trump said. “Yes. Well, thanks to you,” replied Musk.
Reacting to this, Mogensen said it was a lie and “from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media”. “He (Biden) was going to leave him in space. I think he was going to leave them in space,” Trump added.
Elon Musk replied to Mogensen and called him an idiot. He elaborated his earlier ‘political reasons’ statement and said he offered SpaceX help to the Biden administration earlier and they refused.
“You are fully retarded. SpaceX could have brought them back several months ago. I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and they refused. Return WAS pushed back for political reasons. Idiot,” Musk wrote.
Mogensen did not leave the spat and said Elon is not sending up a rescue ship to bring them home and they are returning on the Dragon capsule that was there on the space station since September.
“Elon, I have long admired you and what you have accomplished, especially at SpaceX and Tesla. You know as well as I do, that Butch and Suni are returning with Crew-9, as has been the plan since last September. 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,” Mogensen said.
Mogensen was commander of the International Space Station from September 2023 to March 2024 — his most recent stay at the orbiting outpost.