‘Fully retard’: Elon Musk slams Danish astronaut for denying NASA’s Sunita Williams ‘stuck in space’ situation

Produced by Tarun Mishra

Feb 22, 2025, 04:20 PM

Musk Clashes with Astronaut

Elon Musk engaged in a heated exchange with Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen on X after claiming that former US President Joe Biden intentionally left two American astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS).

Mogensen Rejects

Mogensen dismissed Musk’s claim as false, pointing out that NASA had long planned for the astronauts to return with SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. He criticised Musk for spreading misinformation while often accusing mainstream media of dishonesty.

Musk’s Response

In response, Musk called Mogensen “fully retarded” and insisted that SpaceX could have brought the astronauts back months ago. He also claimed to have offered assistance to the Biden administration, though he did not provide details.

Sunita Williams and Boeing Starliner

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams flew to the ISS in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner for what was meant to be an eight-day test mission. However, technical issues with the spacecraft's thrusters prevented its planned return with the crew.

NASA's Decision to Use SpaceX

NASA opted to return Wilmore and Williams using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule rather than risk bringing them back on the malfunctioning Starliner. The Crew-9 mission, which launched in September, has been prepared to transport them home.

Return Date Shifted

Originally set for February, the return of Wilmore and Williams was delayed to March due to scheduling adjustments in SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission. The Crew-9 Dragon capsule, which has been docked at the ISS since September, will be used for their journey back.

NASA’s Plan

In his reply to Musk, Mogensen reiterated that NASA’s return plan had been in place since September. He pointed out that SpaceX was not launching a separate rescue mission but was instead using the already docked Crew Dragon for the return journey. However, Elon Musk, during an interview with Fox News said that former President Joe Biden didn't allow him to bring back the astronauts on time due to political reason and forgot them in space.