[ad_1]
Four astronauts were blasted aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday night, marking the company’s first manned mission to the International Space Station.
Mr. Musk, who is usually present during the main launches, was unable to attend after receiving two positive tests for the coronavirus and showing minor symptoms of the virus.
NASA rules prohibit anyone from accessing their facilities after a positive test, regardless of position or role.
“When someone tests positive at Covid, here at the Kennedy Space Center and throughout NASA it is our policy that that person quarantine and self-isolate,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said before launch.
Mr. Musk had previously questioned the legitimacy of the results, claiming he tested both positive and negative for Covid-19 on Thursday.
“Something extremely bogus is going on,” he tweeted. “Today it was covid tested four times. Two tests were negative, two were positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. Rapid antigen test. “
He later tweeted that “most likely” he had a moderate case of the coronavirus.
Some Twitter users mocked Musk, pointing out that he had previously downplayed the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.
In March, Mr. Musk said “the coronavirus pandemic is stupid”.
Since then, nearly more than 11 million people have been infected and nearly a quarter of a million people have died from the virus in the United States alone.
A Twitter user dubbed him “Space Karen” for his perceived hateful attitude towards the pandemic, causing the term to spread across the platform.
Dr. Emma Bell responded to her tweet noting that rapid antigen tests detect Covid-19 only “when you are absolutely full of it.”
He tweeted: “The fake thing is that Space Karen didn’t read the test before complaining to her millions of followers.”
Source link
