Musk accuses Danish astronaut of neglect, commenting on allegedly unattended International Space Station crew
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Elon Musk, dubbed the world's richest man, couldn't resist rising to the bait when Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen took issue with Musk's statement about Joe Biden deliberately stranding two American astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
After Mogensen shared a Fox News clip showcasing Musk and President Donald Trump, Mogensen hit out at Musk's statement that NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were intentionally left behind due to political reasons by Biden. Mogensen called it a "lie," adding that there's a significant lack of honesty coming from the mainstream media.
Musk was quick to fire back on Twitter, labeling Mogensen "fully retarded" and stating that SpaceX could have brought them back several months earlier. Musk claimed he had presented an offer for their rescue to the Biden administration, but offered no details as to the nature of the offer. He finished off his response by calling Mogensen an "idiot."
READ MORE: Danish astronaut speaks to kids from space station
In reality, Wilmore and Williams flew to the ISS in June on a Boeing Starliner for an eight-day test mission. Due to a malfunction in the thrusters, NASA made the decision to keep the Starliner astronaut-less and rely on SpaceX to bring Wilmore and Williams back safely. NASA announced they would be returning on the SpaceX Crew-9 mission's spacecraft, which was launched in September with a crew of two to provide room for Wilmore and Williams.
The return voyage was initially scheduled for February but later moved to March due to delays by SpaceX in preparing the spacecraft for Crew-10. If Musk had proposed a rescue plan sooner, there's no public record of its existence.
"Elon, I have long admired your accomplishments, especially at SpaceX and Tesla," Mogensen retorted to Musk's attack, reiterating that Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to return with Crew-9 as confirmed in September 2023. Mogensen emphasized that no rescue mission is imminent, and the astronauts will be returning on the Dragon capsule that has been on the ISS since their arrival in September.
Musk and Mogensen's disagreement coincides with a broader debate touching upon the legal and operational responsibilities for astronaut rescue in the increasingly commercial space realm. However, there's no evidence supporting a personal dispute between Musk and astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
- In the realm of space-and-astronomy news, Elon Musk and Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen have engaged in a heated dispute over remarks Musk made about President Joe Biden stranding two American astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
- In the world of technology and politics, Musk and Mogensen have been exchanging harsh words, with Musk calling Mogensen names and Mogensen defending NASA's actions and the mainstream media's credibility.
- The general-news landscape has seen a unique development as Elon Musk, the tech tycoon, and astronaut Andreas Mogensen engage in a public spat over Musk's comments about the stranding of two astronauts on the ISS.
- Amidst the backdrop of space-related news and tech headlines, Elon Musk and Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen have found themselves at odds over Musk's claims about the stranding of two American astronauts on the International Space Station, sparking a broader debate about responsibility in the commercial space industry.
