Elon Musk to halt SpaceX's NASA astronaut missions after Trump's contract threat
The SpaceX founder and CEO said Dragon would "no longer be able to service the ISS" after Trump said on Truth Social he would "be ending all government contracts" with the company
Elon Musk has significantly escalated his row with President Trump, with a veiled threat of leaving NASA astronauts potentially stranded on the International Space Station.
The tech tycoon announced this Thursday that he's retiring his company's Dragon spacecraft "immediately."
This move follows Trump's post on Truth Social, implying he might cut all US government ties with Musk's space enterprise, SpaceX.
Just two months earlier, SpaceX's Dragon capsule played a critical role in saving astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore after their 286-day stint on the ISS.
The cessation of the Dragon service leaves NASA bereft of a reliable American craft for shuttling astronauts to the ISS and back, reports the Express.
Presently, four NASA astronauts reside on the ISS after the safe return of Williams and Wilmore.
There's no clarity on whether Musk will permit the return of those astronauts aboard the currently docked Dragon capsule.
Despite NASA having an alternative arrangement with Boeing for the Starliner spacecraft, persistent technical setbacks render it unsuitable for crewed missions as of now.
The rift between Musk and Trump flared up post Musk's criticism of the GOP-endorsed"Big Beautiful Bill."
The controversial budget bill, feared to drastically hike the national deficit, spurred Musk to sever ties with the Trump administration in dissent.
Musk had been at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), boasting significant savings for the U.S. through its targeting of unnecessary federal expenditure.
DOGE's overarching aim was to achieve multi-trillion-dollar savings.
The tension between Musk and Trump escalated on social platforms after Musk stepped down.
On Thursday, Musk stirred controversy by asserting that Trump features "in the Epstein files," igniting an already fiery dispute.
He also suggested that Trump ought to be impeached, proposing 40 year old Vice President JD Vance as a successor.
Musk's incendiary Epstein comment followed Trump's assertion on Truth Social that he'd requested Musk's departure from the administration, alleging Musk had gone "CRAZY!".
Trump subsequently hinted at a fresh approach to cut federal expenses, implying potential "Billions and Billions of Dollars" in savings by cutting off SpaceX and Tesla.
ABC News reported that since 2015, over $17 billion has flowed into SpaceX from federal contracts, predominantly with NASA and the Department of Defense.
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