SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed in an interview with Fox News anchor Sean Hannity that he had offered to assist in bringing back NASA astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS). However, he claimed the Biden administration turned down his offer for political reasons.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore returned to Earth on Tuesday, March 18, aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, according to NBC News. The two astronauts had initially traveled to the ISS on the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024, expecting to stay only eight days. Instead, their mission was extended to nearly ten months due to technical issues with the Starliner.
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During the interview, Hannity asked Musk whether he had offered SpaceX’s services to return the astronauts earlier. “We definitely offered to return the astronauts earlier, there’s no question about that,” Musk responded. “The astronauts were only supposed to be there for eight days and they’ve been there for ten months.”
Musk further explained, “Obviously that doesn’t make sense. SpaceX could have brought the astronauts back after a few months at most, and we made that offer to the Biden administration. It was rejected for political reasons and that’s just a fact.”
Musk first made these claims in February during another Fox News interview—this time alongside President Donald Trump—also conducted by Hannity. According to The New York Post, Musk stated at the time, “They [the astronauts] were left up there for political reasons, which is not good,” adding that his company was “accelerating the return of the astronauts” at Trump’s request.
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“We have brought astronauts back from the space station many times before, and always with success,” Musk noted while emphasizing that SpaceX’s team remained “extremely cautious.” Following the recent interview, Musk’s remarks sparked backlash on social media. Many X users criticized former President Joe Biden, accusing his administration of playing politics with astronaut safety.
As reactions continue to pour in, the controversy highlights the ongoing tensions between Musk, the Biden administration, and NASA over space policy and commercial spaceflight operations.
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