London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Elon Musk mocks Biden after SpaceX completes first all-civilian flight

Elon Musk mocks Biden after SpaceX completes first all-civilian flight

As of Monday morning, the White House had yet to comment on the mission, dubbed “Inspiration4,” which marks the first time an all-civilian crew has ever made it to Earth’s orbit

Elon Musk took a swipe at President Biden after the commander in chief failed to acknowledge SpaceX’s completion of its first all-civilian mission, in which four amateur astronauts orbited Earth for three days.

One of Musk’s 60 million Twitter followers pointed out that the White House and Biden had yet to comment on the mission, which successfully returned to Earth Saturday evening.

"The President of the United States has refused to even acknowledge the 4 newest American astronauts who helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for St. Jude," user @rhensing wrote. "What’s your theory on why that is?"

"He’s still sleeping," Musk responded Sunday afternoon.

As of Monday morning, the White House had yet to comment on the mission, dubbed "Inspiration4," which marks the first time an all-civilian crew has ever made it to Earth’s orbit.

The crew — Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Chris Sembroski and Dr. Sian Proctor — spent three days circling the planet at an altitude of more than 335 miles, about 75 miles higher than the International Space Station and on a level with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Isaacman, 38, an accomplished jet pilot, commanded the mission after reportedly paying $200 million for the privilege.

The billionaire donated two of the seats on the mission. The other went to Sembroski, who won a sweepstakes that raised $113 million in St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital donations.

The flight helped raise more than $200 million for St. Jude’s after a $50 million donation from Musk himself.

The Crew Dragon capsule that carried the quintet of astronauts splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Kennedy Space Center in Florida Saturday evening, shortly after 7 p.m. ET.

"On behalf of Space X, welcome home to planet Earth," a dispatcher said to the crew on a live stream of the event.

"Your mission has shown the world that space is for all of us, and that everyday people can make extraordinary impacts on the world around them."

Top officials from The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, congratulated those involved in the mission.

SpaceX aerospace competitors, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin, also congratulated the company on the mission.

It’s not the first time Musk has been at odds with the Biden administration. Last month, Musk said that no one from Tesla was invited to the White House for a summit on the future of electric cars even as rivals Ford, GM and Stellantis were present.

And more recently, Musk criticized a Biden administration proposal that would allocate an extra $4,500 in incentives to buyers of certain, new electric cars — but only if they’re made in the US by unionized workers.

Tesla’s factories are not union-represented and Musk has opposed unionization efforts in the past.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×