Adapted by:
Matías S. Zavia
WriterAerospace and energy industries journalist at Xataka.
Alba Mora
WriterAn established tech journalist, I entered the world of consumer tech by chance in 2018. In my writing and translating career, I've also covered a diverse range of topics, including entertainment, travel, science, and the economy.
The sudden open conflict between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump has escalated to a point where it could jeopardize the future of the International Space Station.
Trump struck first. After investing $277 million in his presidential campaign, Musk announced his resignation from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in a seemingly amicable farewell broadcast live from the White House. The following day, President Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator.
Isaacman, a long-time partner of SpaceX, had been recommended by Musk to lead the space agency. His nomination was made public six months ago and appeared to be on track for approval. However, Trump stated that he withdrew the nomination upon discovering that Isaacman had previously donated to the Democratic Party. Isaacman clarified that the government had always been aware of his past contributions to the opposing party.
Cockfight. One thing that both Musk and Trump share is an insatiable desire for attention. Their already tense relationship took a turn for the worse when Musk referred to the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill megaproject as a “disgusting abomination.” Musk argued that the bill increases public debt rather than alleviates it.
This ignited a series of provocative exchanges, including an X post from Musk suggesting that Trump hasn’t released the Epstein documents because he’s implicated in them. The back-and-forth culminated in accusations and threats, marking a significant escalation in their ongoing rivalry.
“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!”
Musk:
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate… Such ingratitude.”
“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!”
Musk:
“In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.”
The End of the ISS? While SpaceX’s core business revolves around its Starlink satellite internet service, the cancellation of all its public contracts would have significant implications for several government, military, and NASA programs. This includes resupply missions and transportation of astronauts to the ISS.
Currently, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is the only U.S. spacecraft available for crew rotations to the ISS, especially with Boeing’s Starliner capsule fiasco. Compounding this situation, NASA has made commitments to its international partners to keep the ISS operational until 2030. As such, a threat from Trump to cut off public contracts seems unlikely to materialize.
If Musk had his way… In response to the potential loss of public contracts, Musk hinted at an even more drastic action: the immediate termination of the Dragon program. This could seem to be a bluff with little chance of succeeding, but it aligns with Musk’s previously stated desire to accelerate the end of the ISS and shift focus to Mars exploration.
This scenario could unfold given Musk’s clear prioritization of Starship and Mars. However, it would create significant complications for NASA and SpaceX’s various partners, including the European Space Agency, the Japanese space agency, the Canadian space agency, and commercial station developers like Axiom.
Moreover, NASA has tasked SpaceX with building the craft to deorbit the ISS after 2030. This is one public contract that can’t be canceled without serious repercussions. Abandoning a 455-ton space station, which is roughly the size of a football field, isn’t in the best interest of anyone involved.
Image | The White House
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