Trump–Musk rift deepens: Elon Musk announces decommissioning of SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after Trump targets government contracts
In a dramatic escalation of their ongoing feud,
Elon Musk
on Thursday said
SpaceX
would begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft, following US President
Donald Trump
's threat to terminate federal contracts and subsidies linked to the tech billionaire.
'In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,' Musk posted on X.
The Dragon spacecraft can accommodate a maximum of 7 astronauts for journeys to and from Earth's orbit and further destinations. Currently, it stands as the sole operational spacecraft with the ability to transport substantial cargo back to Earth.
This private vessel successfully transported humans to the space station, marking a historic achievement. The Dragon capsule was also used to bring stranded astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore back home; assisted by fellow American Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
The spacecraft also plays a vital role in supporting
Nasa
's Commercial Resupply Services initiative.
Also read:
Will Elon Musk start a new political party?
Musk's announcement came in response to a Truth Social post by Trump, who wrote, '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!'
Trump further claimed he had long planned to revoke electric vehicle mandates and had pushed Musk out of his administration. 'Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!'
Tensions between US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have escalated sharply over Trump's flagship economic bill, which includes significant cuts to electric vehicle and solar incentives.
Once considered allies, the two have clashed publicly in recent days, with Musk criticising the bill's contents and Trump accusing the billionaire of betrayal.
The fallout escalated on Thursday after Trump expressed disappointment in Musk during public remarks, saying he had 'helped him a lot' and implying Musk only turned against the bill after learning the EV mandate would be rolled back. Musk, in turn, denied having seen the bill before its passage and blasted it as rushed and filled with 'disgusting pork.' The Tesla CEO also took aim at Trump's rhetoric, mocking the president's claim that the legislation was 'big and beautiful.
'
The bill's rollback of clean energy incentives directly affects Musk's businesses, especially Tesla and SpaceX, which have benefited from various federal programs in the past.
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