NASA ordered a review of SpaceX and Boeing after Elon Musk sipped whiskey and smoked marijuana on a YouTube livestream, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
Elon Musk smoking weed and sipping whiskey on YouTube pushed NASA to order a review of SpaceX and Boeing before they ferry astronauts to the International Space Station.
NASA’s spokesman Bob Jacobs did not specify what prompted the agency’s decision, but unnamed officials told The Post some at the top were concerned after seeing Mr. Musk’s behavior during a September interview with comedian Joe Rogan.
In the interview, Mr. Rogan offered a joint to the SpaceX and Tesla CEO, joking suggesting he couldn’t partake because of his investors.
“I mean, it’s legal, right?” Mr. Musk asked before taking one hit.
The two also sipped whiskey while talking about alcohol also being a drug.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said public trust is a top priority, and anything that might impact needs to be immediately addressed.
“If I see something that’s inappropriate, the key concern to me is what is the culture that led to that inappropriateness and is NASA involved in that,” Mr. Bridenstine told The Post. “As an agency, we’re not just leading ourselves, but our contractors, as well. We need to show the American public that when we put an astronaut on a rocket, they’ll be safe.”
Both SpaceX and Boeing contracted with NASA to build spaceships to carry astronauts to the ISS, a return to American spaceflight from U.S. soil since the program was canceled in 2011.
SpaceX responded in a statement to The Post that it “actively promotes workplace safety, and we are confident that our comprehensive drug-free workforce and workplace programs exceed all applicable contractual requirements.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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