this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2025
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Summary

Elon Musk has called for the International Space Station (ISS) to be deorbited "as soon as possible," suggesting a two-year timeline instead of NASA's planned 2030 retirement.

His statement has sparked political backlash, particularly from Sen. Ted Cruz, who supports the ISS. NASA and international partners prefer keeping the ISS operational.

Musk's push appears tied to redirecting NASA funding toward Mars exploration, potentially challenging plans for private space stations.

This move could further centralize US space efforts around SpaceX, impacting commercial space competition.

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[–] [email protected] 34 points 18 hours ago

Don't pay for this thing that is for everyone and gets science research done, pay that money to me instead! I'm not a government employee, I just am when I'm telling you what to do!

I've said it for about a decade now and I'll continue to say it: Elmo is an incompetent scammer.

Jail him already. Had Trump not won, by his own words, he would have been in jail now. Oh the dreams.

[–] cosmicrookie 16 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

Of course he wants any current or possible competition eliminated! Luckilly it's not up to him or even the USA.

It's the international space station. Not USA space station

[–] Treczoks 38 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Counterproposal: Deorbit Trump and Musk ASAP.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Countercounterproposal: put them in orbit ASAP and keep them there.

[–] werefreeatlast 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Counterpoint, fly them both to the ISS, get the two stranded astronauts back, then space them out of orbit but leave the station there.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)
[–] werefreeatlast 1 points 4 hours ago

Ah yes, I forgot. They can probably just ride the safety exit door on a Boeing soda can craft that may be attached to the iss.

[–] Lemminary 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Oopsies the station is decompressing quickly. Oh no what a terrible tragedy for the history books. One can dream.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Oh, yeah, right. Space Station. I suppose you could put them inside of something for their orbit. I had something more straightforward in mind though. Just strap em to a rocket and let fly. Make them explorers of the solar system

[–] angrystego 2 points 20 hours ago

Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong. Can you hear me, Major Trump?

[–] [email protected] 81 points 1 day ago (3 children)

As seen in the Ars comments, the Ars article is missing a bit of context.

Musk got into a tweet war with the commander of the space station over whether Suni and Butch’s extended stay on the ISS was political. Musk eventually called him a mentally challenged idiot and then followed that up with a call for the ISS to be deorbited ASAP.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/elon-musk-iss-deorbit-00205268

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 day ago

He didn't call him "mentally challenged idiot" he fully called him "retarded".

[–] Veedem 53 points 1 day ago

Well, THERES the context.

Just another cry session from Musk after he got called out for his bullshit.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 day ago

Thanks, that makes this all worse. Giant man-baby gets put in his place by someone better than him and he can't handle it. So he breaks their toys.

[–] RagingSnarkasm 86 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I recommend that Elon Musk be deorbited ASAP

And by "deorbited" I mean "take away his Ketamine".

[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I recommend that he is orbited. And by that I mean orbited.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Stuff him in a Cybertruck and launch it towards Mars. He should be fine.

[–] ByteJunk 2 points 14 hours ago

I would suggest Mercury, just to be on the safe side.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

I thought that said "obitted" and I nearly clutched my pearls and gasped at the suggestiom

[–] very_well_lost 2 points 1 day ago

Without a spacecraft. Or a suit.

[–] billwashere 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Let him down whenever, as long as he's orbited with a cannon.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago

As a part of this deorbiting idea, I would suggest removing his orbitofrontal cortex. Although, with all the shit he is dribbling... I'm not so sure that he has one.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I'd be fine if we put him in the orbit of the sun.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

unfortunately he already is

[–] [email protected] 2 points 14 hours ago

Harumpf I realized that as I hit submit. I mean like reeeaaly close. Wait, same thing. Ok, launch the fucker into the sun.

[–] MumboJumbo 3 points 1 day ago

Have I got good news for you!

[–] RagingSnarkasm 2 points 1 day ago

Not sure what the sun ever did to you to deserve that, but I find that to be too harsh (on the sun).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

No no, don't take it away from him. In fact, he's been such a good boy lately, he deserves extra. A lot extra.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now, for legal purposes, let me say I'm not asking for or instructing anyone to do this. But at this point, I think Musk needs a visit from a Luigi-type stochastic terrorist. If one was about to kill oneself, and statistically, there'll be people who read this who are, consider taking out Musk before you go. You'll be a martyr and a celebrated hero across the internet. You'll also be giving a massive gift to humankind.

On a personal level, to anyone reading this: I'm sorry that we're at this spot, it sucks.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting 10 points 1 day ago

Know your roots!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_no_one_rid_me_of_this_turbulent_priest%3F?wprov=sfla1

And yes, we've got one foot in the grave and the other in a toilet.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago

I can't remember but who was it that had the contract to deorbit the ISS? Oh yeah, Spaz-X

[–] JeeBaiChow 13 points 1 day ago

Might as well fast track other countries leadership on space. Why not? Fuck Elon btw.

[–] xenomor 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I can’t believe Musk was able to make me actively antagonistic about space exploration.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Nah space flight is cool! And my cousin who works at SpaceX is cool. Musk doesn't need to be synonymous with space exploration.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean, it's not just the US that provides funding for that or contributed components. Russia, various European countries, Japan and Canada, I believe, all have some level of funding.

kagis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station_programme

The ISS has been described as the most expensive single item ever constructed.[93] As of 2010, the total cost was US$150 billion. This includes NASA's budget of $58.7 billion ($89.73 billion in 2021 dollars) for the station from 1985 to 2015, Russia's $12 billion, Europe's $5 billion, Japan's $5 billion, Canada's $2 billion, and the cost of 36 shuttle flights to build the station, estimated at $1.4 billion each, or $50.4 billion in total.

Now, granted, Russia had already been talking about killing their support, maybe pulling their modules off to start a new space station for some time, so they're probably more than fine with that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As of 2010, the total cost was US$150 billion.

Wow, Elon bought twitter at a third the cost. What an excellent deal he got. /s

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

if ~ $44b was the cost to acquire the u.s., and its ~ 25% of the global economy (un estimate based on gdp), he could buy all the rest, complete the set, and still have a chunk of change left over.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

and its ~ 25% of the global economy (un estimate based on gdp),

The world economy is far larger than that. It'll be something like $100 trillion, IIRC, as the US is currently about a quarter of it and has a GDP somewhere like $20 or $30 trillion.

kagis

The US GDP is $29.168 trillion for 2024.

So, this is gonna be for 2024, and so it won't include inflation from 2010:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_economy

That says $110 trillion for the world for 2024.