Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, is once again at the center of scandal due to his conflict with the space community. Amid the controversy surrounding the delayed return of astronauts from the ISS, the billionaire received an unexpected challenge from experts: “Get in the rocket yourself!”
It all started with Musk’s claim that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, the crew of Boeing’s malfunctioning Starliner spacecraft, were being kept on the station for political reasons. This caused a wave of outrage. Former ISS commander Andreas Mogensen called Musk’s words a lie, recalling that the return of the crew had been planned since 2023. “Even now SpaceX is not sending a rescue spacecraft. They will fly on a Dragon capsule,” he emphasized on Twitter.
Musk reacted sharply, insulting Mogensen and saying he offered NASA help but was turned down.
You are fully retarded.
SpaceX could have brought them back several months ago.
I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and they refused.
Return WAS pushed back for political reasons.
Idiot.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2025
“You are fully retarded. SpaceX could have brought them back several months ago. I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and they refused. Idiot!” – the billionaire responded angrily.
Musk’s tone angered the former astronauts. Scott Kelly, the twin brother of veteran astronaut Mark Kelly, called Mogensen one of the most competent experts and decried Musk’s “disrespect” for his colleague.
I was the Commander of the @ISS when Andy, @Astro_Andreas flew his first space mission. He is one of the most competent, trustworthy, and honest people I’ve ever met. This rhetoric is beyond the pale but, sadly, not surprising. He does not deserve this kind of disrespect. https://t.co/n4yqkvhxYv
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 21, 2025
The escalation of the conflict reached a peak when the head of SpaceX suggested destroying the ISS as soon as possible, calling the station an obstacle to the colonization of Mars. The idea seems bizarre given SpaceX’s billion-dollar contract with NASA to take the ISS out of orbit after 2030. Critics see this as Musk being vindictive over criticism.
Why isn’t Musk going into space?
Former NASA astronaut and current U.S. Senator Mark Kelly publicly suggested that the billionaire should be brave enough to visit orbit personally.
“Hey Elon Musk, when you finally get the nerve to climb into a rocket ship, come talk to the three of us,” Kelly wrote on Twitter.
Hey @ElonMusk, when you finally get the nerve to climb into a rocket ship, come talk to the three of us. https://t.co/9BOL1FQOZp
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) February 21, 2025
The irony is that despite his ambitions to make humanity an “interplanetary species,” Musk himself has never been in space, unlike actual astronauts who risked their lives on missions.
Who is right?
Experts remind us that the conflict brings to the surface a deeper problem. Musk, who has turned SpaceX into a key player in the space industry, often ignores the traditions of the astronaut community. His aggressive communication and habit of meddling in technical matters raise doubts about his professional ethics.
Many believe that Musk should focus on real accomplishments instead of public quarrels. For example, to achieve a planned mission to Mars or to guarantee the safety of astronauts on Dragon missions. After all, these projects, not image tweets, will define his contribution to space history.
For now, the billionaire chooses to be a social media “troll.” But time will tell if he can turn chaos into progress. And whether there will be room for his own chair among his rockets.
Previously, we explained why Elon Musk was at war with NASA.
According to NBC News
