SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former ISS commander Andreas Mogensen engaged in a heated exchange on X over the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from space. The dispute arose after Musk claimed that the Biden administration had abandoned the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for “political reasons.”
Mogensen, a European Space Agency astronaut, refuted Musk’s claim, calling it a “lie” and pointing out that their return had been planned as part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission since September last year. Musk responded by calling Mogensen an “idiot” and insisted that SpaceX had offered to bring them back months earlier, but the Biden administration declined.
The controversy escalated after Musk’s interview with Donald Trump on Fox News, where Trump alleged that Biden was reluctant to bring the astronauts back to avoid publicity. NASA had originally sent Williams and Wilmore to the ISS in June 2023 aboard Boeing’s Starliner for an eight-day mission, but technical issues forced a change in plans. SpaceX was later assigned the responsibility for their return.
Despite political debates, NASA confirmed that Williams and Wilmore would return to Earth aboard Crew-9’s Dragon capsule on March 19, as per the original timeline.
The feud highlights tensions surrounding space policy, with SpaceX playing a crucial role in astronaut transport. However, NASA has assured that the return mission remains on track.
