The SpaceX CEO mentioned he would decommission the one US spacecraft licensed to fly American astronauts, earlier than altering his thoughts hours later
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has claimed that his firm “will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft instantly,” a transfer that might successfully paralyze the US house program. Musk made the declare after US President Donald Trump threatened to terminate all authorities subsidies and contracts with the billionaire’s corporations.
Trump and Musk engaged in a dramatic alternate on social media on Thursday over the US president’s “Huge and Stunning” federal tax and spending invoice, which the previous White Home authorities effectivity czar had blasted as a “pork-filled, disgusting abomination” that might push the US into “debt slavery.”
“The best method to economize in our Funds, Billions and Billions of {Dollars}, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump said on Fact Social, arguing that the one purpose the Tesla CEO “went CRAZY” concerning the laws was as a result of it will lower tax credit for purchasers of his electrical autos.
“In gentle of the President’s assertion about cancellation of my authorities contracts, @SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft instantly,” Musk responded in a put up on X simply minutes later.
Hours later, the billionaire appeared to stroll again the risk, after one X consumer urged Musk to “cool off and take a step again for a pair days,” noting that each he and Trump had been “higher than this.”
“Good recommendation. Okay, we received’t decommission Dragon,” Musk replied in a follow-up put up. Nevertheless, not like his authentic assertion, the reversal was not seen on his public timeline.
Good recommendation. Okay, we received’t decommission Dragon.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2025
It stays unclear whether or not Musk critically meant to halt operations of the spacecraft, a transfer that might considerably disrupt the US house program.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule is the one US spacecraft presently licensed and able to sending American astronauts to house. NASA has relied on it to ship cargo and crew to the Worldwide Area Station since 2020, following an extended hiatus after the retirement of the Area Shuttle program in 2011.
Boeing’s competing Starliner challenge suffered years of delays and technical malfunctions. Its first crewed flight final June – initially scheduled for 2017 – ended with two NASA astronauts stranded aboard the ISS, after the spacecraft was deemed unsafe for return. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams safely returned to Earth solely in March, aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, after Trump urged Musk to assist rescue the duo, whereas criticizing his predecessor Joe Biden for leaving them “stranded.”
Earlier this 12 months, NASA and the Russian house company Roscosmos prolonged their seat-sharing settlement, which permits People to journey to the ISS aboard Soyuz spacecraft, by way of 2027.
SpaceX has secured greater than $20 billion in contracts from NASA, the US Air Drive, and different authorities businesses since 2008, making it one of many nation’s largest federal contractors. Trump has but to make clear whether or not the US authorities will cancel any contracts with Musk and his corporations.
