In a surprising turn on X, Elon Musk threatened to cut off NASA’s access to SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft — the agency’s sole American vehicle for ferrying astronauts to the $100 billion International Space Station (ISS).
The clash ignited after President Donald Trump warned he might cancel all of SpaceX’s federal contracts. Musk fired back, warning that severing ties could leave NASA, the Pentagon and intelligence agencies "in a lurch."
Hours later, Musk relented: "Ok, we won\u0019t decommission Dragon," he posted, averting an immediate crisis. Yet the episode highlights how a single tweet can ripple across national security and space exploration.
Over the years, SpaceX has become a vital contractor, launching sensitive national security payloads such as satellites that provide missile warning, battlefield communication and guide munitions to precise targets. Losing that capability would force NASA to scramble for alternatives, complicating ongoing ISS missions.
NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens offered a measured response, stating only that "NASA will continue to execute upon the President\u0019s vision for the fulfillment of space. We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the President\u0019s objectives in space are met."
As public-private partnerships take center stage in the final frontier, Musk and Trump’s digital duel serves as a potent reminder: in the high-stakes arena of space, every message can become a seismic event.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
