Elon Musk just pulled a dramatic U-turn on decommissioning SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft after a public spat with President Donald Trump.
CNBC reported that in a whirlwind of social media posts on Thursday, Musk first declared he’d start retiring the Dragon due to Trump’s threats to slash government contracts, only to backtrack hours later after a nudge from an X user, ensuring the spacecraft’s continued service.
The drama kicked off when Musk, a former top advisor to Trump, openly criticized a significant tax bill the president is championing.
This didn’t sit well with Trump, who fired back on Truth Social, suggesting he could save “billions” by cutting Musk’s federal subsidies and contracts. Well, it seems even billionaires aren’t immune to a good old-fashioned policy showdown.
Trump’s exact words on Truth Social were sharp: “The easiest way to save money.” That’s a bold claim, considering SpaceX has racked up over $20 billion in contracts from NASA and other agencies since 2008. Turns out, threatening to pull the plug on a major contractor isn’t just a budget cut—it’s a political lightning rod.
Musk didn’t hold back either, initially posting on X that SpaceX would decommission Dragon “immediately” in response to Trump’s threats.
Hours later, though, an X user with the handle @Fab25june stepped in with some unsolicited but effective advice: “Cool off and take a step back.” Sometimes, a random voice in the digital crowd can cut through the noise better than a boardroom full of suits.
Musk’s reply was short and sweet: “Ok, we won’t decommission.” And just like that, the Dragon spacecraft, the only U.S. vehicle capable of ferrying crew to the International Space Station, was back in the game. It’s almost as if 184 followers can wield more influence than a presidential post—imagine that.
Let’s not forget why Dragon matters—it’s not just a shiny toy in Musk’s garage. This spacecraft can carry up to seven passengers to orbit and is the only one currently able to return substantial cargo to Earth, a feat no other private craft has matched.
It’s been a lifeline for missions, including bringing NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home in March after they were stranded at the ISS due to Boeing’s Starliner woes.
Just last April, a Dragon craft hauled 6,700 pounds of supplies, science gear, and equipment to the ISS, where seven crew members, including three NASA astronauts, are currently stationed under Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin’s command.
If that’s not essential infrastructure, I don’t know what is. Canceling it over a tax bill disagreement feels a bit like burning your house down to spite the tax collector.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell confirmed in November that Dragon would keep flying for another six to eight years, a timeline that seemed solid until this week’s chaos. Meanwhile, the company is testing its Starship rocket, though it exploded for the third time during a May launch. Progress isn’t always pretty, but it’s necessary.
SpaceX isn’t just a private venture—it’s one of the largest federal contractors out there, with billions in deals from NASA and the Air Force.
Cutting those ties, as Trump suggested, isn’t a simple budget trim; it’s a potential gut punch to America’s space ambitions. NASA’s press secretary, Bethany Stevens, reiterated their commitment to working with industry partners to meet presidential objectives, sidestepping the drama with diplomatic finesse.
Still, Musk’s frustration is palpable, especially after reportedly spending over a quarter billion dollars backing Trump’s campaign efforts before their fallout.
“Such ingratitude,” Musk posted on X, and you can almost hear the exasperation through the screen. It’s a reminder that even the tightest political alliances can fray when policy and pride collide.
Joe Weisenthal of Bloomberg’s “Odd Lots” podcast couldn’t resist commenting on the absurdity of it all, noting how a small X account achieved “de-escalation” between two titans.
It’s a strange world when a tweet from an unknown user can steer the course of space policy. Perhaps we’ve underestimated the power of the little guy—or at least, the little guy with a good internet connection.