In a recent and highly publicized dispute, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk engaged in a heated exchange with Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen over the prolonged stay of NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The controversy began when Musk, during a joint interview with President Donald Trump on Fox News, alleged that the astronauts were “left up there for political reasons” by the previous administration.
Mogensen, a former ISS commander, refuted Musk’s claims by sharing a clip of the interview on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating: “What a lie. And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media.”
In response, Musk retorted by calling Mogensen an “idiot” and asserted that SpaceX had offered to return the astronauts months earlier, but the offer was allegedly declined by the Biden administration for political reasons. Mogensen countered by emphasizing that the return plan for Williams and Wilmore had been established since September, involving their return on the SpaceX Dragon capsule currently docked at the ISS.
The two astronauts have been on the ISS since June 2024, following issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was deemed unsafe for their return. NASA subsequently arranged for their return on a SpaceX Dragon capsule, with the mission scheduled for March 2025.
This incident has sparked discussions about the future of the ISS and the dynamics between public and private entities in space exploration. Musk has advocated for decommissioning the ISS ahead of its planned 2030 retirement, suggesting a focus on Mars missions instead.