(Washington) – American tech mogul Elon Musk has begun the immediate shutdown of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft programme, following a public statement by United States President Donald Trump threatening to revoke government contracts with Musk’s companies. The decision could severely disrupt key NASA missions, as the Dragon fleet plays a vital role in resupplying the International Space Station.
On Thursday, 5 June, Musk declared via his official account on X (formerly Twitter) that the decommissioning process had already begun. His post directly responded to Trump’s claims that terminating contracts with Musk’s firms would allegedly save “billions of dollars” for the United States.
“SpaceX is immediately beginning to decommission all Dragon ships,” Musk wrote, signifying a drastic response to political threats now encroaching on American space ambitions.
Tensions between Trump and Musk have been escalating for months. Musk, who previously served as a top advisor at the White House, stepped down in protest against Trump’s sweeping tax and budget proposals. The billionaire entrepreneur has since criticised the president’s rhetoric, his economic agenda, and his policy coercion tactics, including mandatory electric car purchases, which Trump labelled as “madness.”
Trump, in return, claimed Musk had “gone mad” and stripped the American public of their so-called “choice” by pushing electric vehicles. Musk denied the accusation and called the former real estate magnate a liar, adding simply, “It’s sad.” In a move that appeared both symbolic and strategic, Musk also launched an online poll asking whether a new political party should be formed—an idea he openly supports.
In a final blow to their fractured relationship, Musk backed efforts to impeach Trump, a move that solidifies his opposition to what he sees as reckless leadership.
The future of SpaceX’s Dragon fleet, and potentially the continuity of NASA missions, now hangs in the balance as a result of political vendettas. The SpaceX Dragon ships have long been central to American space logistics, especially following the retirement of NASA’s own shuttle programme.
