The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft floating near Tallahassee, Florida, in March. Getty Images
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, said his company SpaceX will start retiring its Dragon spacecraft. This comes after a public fight with former President Donald Trump, who threatened to cancel Musk’s government contracts.
Musk shared the news on his social media platform, X, which he owns. He said, “In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.”
Shortly before Musk’s post, Trump wrote on his own social media site, Truth Social, that he might end big government deals with Musk’s companies. Trump said, “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is important to NASA. It carries astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Since 2008, SpaceX has earned over $20 billion in government contracts, mainly from NASA and the Department of Defense.
In March, two NASA astronauts returned safely to Earth in a Dragon capsule. They had been stuck on the ISS for almost nine months because their Boeing Starliner capsule had technical problems and couldn’t bring them home.
SpaceX plans its next Dragon mission for June 10. The mission, called Axiom Mission 4, will take four people to the ISS and back.
NASA’s press secretary, Bethany Stevens, responded to Musk’s announcement on X. She said the agency “will continue to execute upon the president’s vision for the future of space.” She also added, “We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the president’s objectives in space are met.”
This announcement happened during a growing conflict between Musk and Trump. It started when Musk called Trump’s tax and spending bill a “disgusting abomination.” Musk also said Trump was “ungrateful” for the money Musk spent to help get him elected. Trump replied that he was “very disappointed” in Musk.
Earlier on the same day, Trump said Musk was “wearing thin” and “went crazy” after Musk left his role as head of Trump’s “department of government efficiency” last week.
This public dispute shows tensions rising between two powerful figures. Musk’s decision to retire the Dragon spacecraft could impact NASA’s astronaut missions. Many are watching closely to see what happens next.
