The Alpha crew pictured soon after last week's docking. Photo: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now

Like millions of his fellow Americans, space station commander Bill Shepherd was told early this morning that George W. Bush was his new President, only to learn hours later that the election was in fact too close to call.

"The new president of United States is George W. Bush," Houston Capcom Stephanie Wilson told Shepherd, minutes after U.S. television networks declared the Texas Governor the victor around 2:20 a.m. EST (0720 GMT)

"Well my congratulations that's great," Shepherd responded. "Maybe we'll get to talk to him."

"It may be so," replied Wilson.

But it soon became apparent that the election result was not clear cut. The U.S. networks retracted their predictions of a Bush victory and declared the election too close to call.

Three and a half hours later, during the next communications pass with Houston, Wilson broke the news to Shepherd, the only American currently in orbit.

"I had made a statement earlier about the new President of the United States and I must retract that statement," she said.

"The vote is very close. We do not know at this time who the President of the United States will be."

Shepherd is believed to have cast his vote before departing on his four-month mission to the new space outpost.