FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Makes False Claim About Musk, Boeing Starliner Astronauts

A post shared on Facebook claims Tesla CEO and owner of X, Elon Musk, purportedly said the Boeing Starliner astronauts are “not with us anymore.”

Verdict: False

There is no evidence suggesting Musk made the purported remark. The Boeing Starliner astronauts will return to Earth in March 2025, according to Space.com.

Fact Check:

TikTok has denied a report that Chinese officials are considering selling the company to Musk, according to The Hill. A company spokesperson labeled the claim as “pure fiction,” the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims Musk purportedly said the Boeing Starliner astronauts are “not with us anymore.”

“Elon Musk: ‘The Boeing Starliners Stranded Astronauts Are Not With US Anymore,’” the post reads. The post includes a second purported quote attributed to Musk reading, “They won’t come back.” An article linked to a comment on the post repeats the claim.

The claim is false. Check Your Fact conducted an advanced search of Musk’s verified X account, @elonmusk, and there does not appear to be any reference to the claim. Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Jan. 8, PolitiFact debunked the claim. (RELATED: No, Elon Musk Did Not Launch Public Campaign To End ‘The View’)

In addition, a December 2024 article from Space.com indicates the Boeing Starliner astronauts will return to Earth in March 2025, or one month later than originally anticipated. The astronauts’ return date was delayed to allow SpaceX time to complete a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission, according to Space.com, which cited a statement from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The astronauts have been in space since June, CBS News reported. Their mission was only supposed to take between eight and ten days but a helium leak in their Boeing Starliner capsule has delayed their return, according to the outlet.

Check Your Fact has contacted Musk for comment.