A dramatic public feud between Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump has escalated to a point that experts warn could jeopardize the future of American space exploration.
Once allies—Musk previously referred to himself as Trump’s “first buddy”—the two are now locked in a bitter dispute marked by public threats and accusations. While much of their spat has centered on personal attacks, a more serious development emerged when Trump suggested canceling Musk’s government contracts.
“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 wrote on Truth Social.
In response, Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) that SpaceX would begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft, which currently plays a vital role in space missions. Though he later backtracked with a follow-up post stating they “won’t decommission Dragon,” the mixed messaging raised concerns about the stability of critical space programs.
Experts quickly sounded the alarm. Ars Technica journalist Eric Berger warned that scrapping the Dragon program could lead to the collapse of the International Space Station (ISS) and leave no safe way to bring it out of orbit when its mission ends in 2030.
SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is currently the only American spacecraft capable of safely transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. The company’s role became even more crucial following the retirement of NASA’s Space Shuttle program in 2010, which left the U.S. dependent on Russian vehicles for nearly a decade. That changed in 2020 when SpaceX successfully launched astronauts into orbit using Dragon, re-establishing American capability in human spaceflight.
NASA now heavily relies on SpaceX. Earlier this year, Boeing’s Starliner—originally designed as a competitor to Dragon—suffered technical issues on a mission to the ISS, requiring a SpaceX spacecraft to return its crew safely.
Looking ahead, SpaceX is integral not only to ISS operations but also to the next generation of space missions. The company’s Starship project is central to NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon and eventually land humans on Mars. Disruptions to SpaceX’s operations could therefore derail the entire trajectory of U.S. space ambitions.
If either Musk or Trump follows through on their threats—whether canceling contracts or halting key programs—the consequences could be severe. The U.S. could once again find itself grounded, dependent on others for access to space, and with its long-term exploration goals
