NASA Stranded Astronaut Sides with Musk in Controversy Over ISS Rescue Plan

[Social Media]

 

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, who has been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June, has backed Elon Musk’s claim that the billionaire had proposed an early rescue plan that was ultimately rejected by then-President Joe Biden.

 

Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams initially embarked on what was meant to be an eight-day mission, but their return was delayed when the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they were testing was deemed unsafe for the journey home. As their stay stretched into months, the situation became politically charged, with Musk and former President Donald Trump accusing Biden’s administration of intentionally leaving the astronauts aboard the ISS to avoid making Musk look like a hero.

 

“I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says is absolutely factual,” said Wilmore, a former Navy test pilot. While he acknowledged that he was not fully informed about the political discussions surrounding his extended stay, he stated, “I believe him. I don’t know all those details.”

MUSK: We offered to bring them back early. This offer was rejected by Biden.

ROGAN: Why?

MUSK: For political reasons. They pushed the return date back past the Inauguration.

Elon Musk tells Joe Rogan how Biden played politics with the lives of stranded American astronauts. pic.twitter.com/nsmgHYTY6I

— Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) March 1, 2025

 

Musk’s assertion that the astronauts were abandoned for "political reasons" recently sparked a public clash between him and Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen. In a Fox News interview, Musk claimed the Biden administration had neglected the stranded astronauts, but Mogensen countered, accusing him of spreading falsehoods. Mogensen noted that NASA had long planned to bring Wilmore and Williams back aboard the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which arrived at the ISS in September with two spare seats.

 

No alternative plan was ever officially proposed, and the delay in Crew-9’s return has been due to setbacks in preparing the Dragon spacecraft for Crew-10, now scheduled for launch on March 12. NASA has also stressed that extended astronaut stays in space are not uncommon. In 2023, astronaut Frank Rubio spent over a year on the ISS after a meteoroid damaged his return vessel, a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Similarly, following the 2003 Columbia disaster, NASA suspended shuttle flights for two years, forcing astronauts to rely on Soyuz and prolong their missions.

 

Musk’s comments have drawn criticism from the space community, particularly after he used a slur for people with intellectual disabilities in response to Mogensen. Former NASA astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly publicly defended Mogensen and condemned Musk’s remarks.

 

“Obviously, we’ve heard some of these different things that have been said,” Wilmore commented. “We have the utmost respect for Mr. Musk, and obviously respect and admiration for our president of the United States, Donald Trump. We appreciate them… and we’re thankful that they are in the positions they’re in.”

 

Wilmore’s statement comes at a time when NASA’s leadership is facing scrutiny over its shifting rhetoric. Acting NASA administrator Janet Petro recently raised eyebrows with remarks that echoed Trump’s political slogan, stating that the agency aimed to put "America first" in its space endeavors.

 

“We’re going to be putting America first, we’re making America proud, we’re doing this for the U.S. citizens,” she said, just before a private Moon lander touched down on Sunday. The remark marked a departure from NASA’s long-standing philosophy of conducting space exploration “for all mankind.”

 

As the situation continues to unfold, Wilmore and Williams remain aboard the ISS, awaiting their long-delayed return home.

 

Based on a report by AP  2025-03-06

 

Related Topic:

Elon Musk Claims Biden Administration Delayed NASA Astronauts’ Return for Political Gain

 

 

 

 

[JonnyF]

Yes, it was obvious to all but the most rampant Liberal Trump hater that Musk was indeed telling the truth.

 

Good to hear it straight from the horses mouth.

 

The Biden administration would hog-tie their own mothers to a satellite in geostationary orbit if they thought it would help them win the election. Shameful. 

 

 

[parallelman]

Sunni Williams looks as though the long stay has taken its toll. But then if one thought it was only going to be 8 days....

[Patong2021]

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Yes, it was obvious to all but the most rampant Liberal Trump hater that Musk was indeed telling the truth.

Good to hear it straight from the horses mouth.

The Biden administration would hog-tie their own mothers to a satellite in geostationary orbit if they thought it would help them win the election. Shameful. 

 

No it is not. Daily Mail was pushing this story, but it is nonsensical. The astronaut is depressed and wants off the ISS. Understandable. 

Wilmore says; he acknowledged that he was not fully informed about the political discussions surrounding his extended stay, I don’t know all those details.

 

In case you missed it the experts in space travel  tore a strip off of Musk last November because of his disregard for safety.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-panel-calls-on-spacex-to-maintain-focus-on-dragon-safety-after-recent-anomalies/

SpaceX uses the  dragon craft to  fly the rout, but Dragon has some safety issues.

 

WASHINGTON — A recent series of anomalies by SpaceX prompted a warning by a NASA safety panel to stay focused on safety for crewed flights.   At an Oct. 31 meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), Kent Rominger, a former astronaut who serves on the committee, went through a list of “recent issues” with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft that he said served as a reminder to remain vigilant as the company increases its pace of missions.

 

Musk is looking for cover for his problems at SpaceX. .  In case you also forgot; the SpaceX Starship has only been been launched 7 times, of which 3 were failures.

 

Biden does not make the launch decisions. The experts at NASA do. Musk is not an aeronautical engineer, nor an astronaut. 

 

[Bkk Brian]

3 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

No it is not. Daily Mail was pushing this story, but it is nonsensical. The astronaut is depressed and wants off the ISS. Understandable. 

Wilmore says; he acknowledged that he was not fully informed about the political discussions surrounding his extended stay, I don’t know all those details.

 

In case you missed it the experts in space travel  tore a strip off of Musk last November because of his disregard for safety.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-panel-calls-on-spacex-to-maintain-focus-on-dragon-safety-after-recent-anomalies/

SpaceX uses the  dragon craft to  fly the rout, but Dragon has some safety issues.

 

WASHINGTON — A recent series of anomalies by SpaceX prompted a warning by a NASA safety panel to stay focused on safety for crewed flights.   At an Oct. 31 meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), Kent Rominger, a former astronaut who serves on the committee, went through a list of “recent issues” with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft that he said served as a reminder to remain vigilant as the company increases its pace of missions.

 

Musk is looking for cover for his problems at SpaceX. .  In case you also forgot; the SpaceX Starship has only been been launched 7 times, of which 3 were failures.

 

Biden does not make the launch decisions. The experts at NASA do. Musk is not an aeronautical engineer, nor an astronaut. 

 

Shooting the messenger? Its originally from AFP

 

[NickyLouie]

17 minutes ago, parallelman said:

Sunni Williams looks as though the long stay has taken its toll. But then if one thought it was only going to be 8 days....

 

hopefully they've got some feminine hygiene products for her 

 

[tomazbodner]

Should have never boarded that Boeing...

[JAG]

58 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Yes, it was obvious to all but the most rampant Liberal Trump hater that Musk was indeed telling the truth.

Musk wouldn't recognise the truth if it fell off the end of the bookshelf and hit him on the head!

 

Mind you, much the same is true of his (titular) boss.

 

As ever, everything they touch is clouded by a tissue of lies and claims that it is all done to paint them in a bad light!

 

As Julius Caesar is reported to have claimed of his assassins in the Roman Senate (as discovered by the researchers for the docudrama "Carry on Cleo") : " Infamy, Infamy, they've all got it in for me!"

[Chomper Higgot]

47 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

No it is not. Daily Mail was pushing this story, but it is nonsensical. The astronaut is depressed and wants off the ISS. Understandable. 

Wilmore says; he acknowledged that he was not fully informed about the political discussions surrounding his extended stay, I don’t know all those details.

 

In case you missed it the experts in space travel  tore a strip off of Musk last November because of his disregard for safety.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-panel-calls-on-spacex-to-maintain-focus-on-dragon-safety-after-recent-anomalies/

SpaceX uses the  dragon craft to  fly the rout, but Dragon has some safety issues.

 

WASHINGTON — A recent series of anomalies by SpaceX prompted a warning by a NASA safety panel to stay focused on safety for crewed flights.   At an Oct. 31 meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), Kent Rominger, a former astronaut who serves on the committee, went through a list of “recent issues” with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft that he said served as a reminder to remain vigilant as the company increases its pace of missions.

 

Musk is looking for cover for his problems at SpaceX. .  In case you also forgot; the SpaceX Starship has only been been launched 7 times, of which 3 were failures.

 

Biden does not make the launch decisions. The experts at NASA do. Musk is not an aeronautical engineer, nor an astronaut. 

 

 

Musk is also in the ‘space business’ and currently given reign to slash Federal spending.

 

Nothing he says about NASA resides outside of his obvious conflicts of interest.

 

The same obvious conflicts of interest the Trump administration has said do not exist.

 

“If Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing, then Elon will excuse himself from those contracts. And he has, again, abided by all applicable laws,” Leavitt said during a press briefing. 

 

Corruption in plain sight.

 

https://thehill.com/business/5136025-elon-musk-conflict-interest/

[JAG]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

Musk is also in the ‘suave business’ and currently given reign to slash Federal spending.

 

Nothing he says about NASA resides outside of his obvious conflicts of interest.

 

The same obvious conflicts of interest the Trump administration has said do no boy exist.

 

“If Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing, then Elon will excuse himself from those contracts. And he has, again, abided by all applicable laws,” Leavitt said during a press briefing. 

 

Corruption in plain sight.

 

https://thehill.com/business/5136025-elon-musk-conflict-interest/

Hasn't NASA (immune to Musk's influence of course), cancelled a contract with one of Musk's competitors and awarded it to "Starlink".

 

Not so much in plain sight as emblazoned in a multicoloured laser show all over NASA headquarters!

 

 

[ChaiyaTH]

Once again a disgrace for the Biden and co followers. Yet they will still put their head in the sands.

[Bkk Brian]

25 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

Musk is also in the ‘space business’ and currently given reign to slash Federal spending.

 

Nothing he says about NASA resides outside of his obvious conflicts of interest.

 

The same obvious conflicts of interest the Trump administration has said do not exist.

 

“If Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing, then Elon will excuse himself from those contracts. And he has, again, abided by all applicable laws,” Leavitt said during a press briefing. 

 

Corruption in plain sight.

 

https://thehill.com/business/5136025-elon-musk-conflict-interest/

So what did he say about Nasa? If anything he was taking away any blame from them and pushing it to Biden

 

"Elon Musk has accused the Biden administration of intentionally delaying the return of two NASA astronauts from space for political reasons, alleging that officials wanted to prevent former President Donald Trump from receiving credit. "

 

How does that fit in with this conflict of interest?

[Patong2021]

1 hour ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Once again a disgrace for the Biden and co followers. Yet they will still put their head in the sands.

How is it a disgrace? Musk's claim is unfounded. You do know that the astronauts and the engineers  at NASA responsible for safety told him to clean up his deficiencies. His dragon ship wasn't used because of  safety issues. And you do know that his spaceships have had multiple failures in the past  year. Musk's claims seem like an attempt to deflect from his problems.

[Purdey]

"I don't know the details but whatever Musk says must be true." 

[klauskunkel]

4 hours ago, Social Media said:

NASA’s leadership is facing scrutiny over its shifting rhetoric. Acting NASA administrator Janet Petro

“We’re going to be putting America first, we’re making America proud, we’re doing this for the U.S. citizens,”

nope, you are actually doing this for the continued funding...

[CanadaSam]

4 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

they will still put their head in the sands.

 

That's the Sands casino, is it?

[johng]

Why on earth did they not ask the Russians for a lift home ?  

ohh dear  never mind.

[The Old Bull]

I feel sorry for them, I hope they have good contract, every hour after eight days should be overtime. When they return they are going to have problems with things like walking should be able to go after somebody for damages.