Former NASA Astronaut Praises Elon Musk’s Rapid Progress in Space Exploration
Veteran astronaut Clayton Anderson expressed admiration for Elon Musk’s ambitious approach to space exploration, suggesting that the SpaceX founder is advancing the field more quickly than NASA did during the iconic Apollo era.
“Elon is all about making things happen as quickly as he possibly can,” Anderson said in a Fox News interview. “I think that’s also something that can probably be good for our country.”
Comparing SpaceX’s rapid development to NASA’s historically more cautious and bureaucratic pace, Anderson emphasized the significance of recent milestones. He highlighted Musk’s massive new rocket — the largest ever built — which surpasses the height of the Statue of Liberty and is capable of lifting immense payloads into orbit.
“He’s taken steps way faster than we ever did in the Apollo program to do things like this,” Anderson noted. “So, it’s a very exciting time for anyone who follows space.”
While praising the momentum, Anderson also underscored the high-stakes nature of space missions: “These are tough jobs. These are technical jobs that require people to not make mistakes. And so, you need to have the best possible people doing that work.”
Closing his remarks with a personal motto, he added: “I hashtag almost every day, ‘never bet against Elon Musk.’ And so far, he’s proven me right.”
As SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of modern rocketry, voices like Anderson’s signal growing recognition — even within the NASA community — of the transformative impact Musk is having on the future of spaceflight.
