Elon Musk and astronauts get into spat over claims that politics delayed a flight

Elon Musk and astronaut Andreas Mogensen exchanged barbs after Musk suggested that two NASA astronauts were abandoned on the space station “for political reasons.”

Elon Musk lashed out at several astronauts online after coming under fire for suggesting that two NASA astronauts were left on the International Space Station “for political reasons.”

The public spat on X began Thursday between Musk and European astronaut Andreas Mogensen, then continued Friday as others weighed in.

The argument was in response to remarks Musk made during a pre-taped, joint interview with President Donald Trump that aired Tuesday on Fox News. The pair was asked about NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been on the space station for the past eight months, after their Boeing spacecraft ran into problems on its first crewed test flight.

“They were left up there for political reasons,” Musk said, insinuating that the Biden administration chose to keep the astronauts in space for longer than necessary.

Mogensen, who in 2015 became the first Danish citizen to fly in space, took aim at Musk’s unsupported claim, posting: “What a lie. And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/elon-musk-astronauts-public-spat-rcna193011

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