An escalating feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump threatens to disrupt key U.S. space programs and jeopardize $22 billion in government contracts with SpaceX.
A public clash between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump has raised alarms in Washington and beyond, as political tensions risk spilling into the future of American space exploration.
The fallout began after Musk sharply criticized Trump’s tax and spending proposals, prompting a combative response from Trump during Oval Office remarks. What followed was a volley of attacks on social media, culminating in Trump threatening to revoke federal contracts held by Musk’s companies. In retaliation, Musk said he would begin decommissioning the Dragon spacecraft - SpaceX’s crew vehicle used by NASA.
Though Musk later walked back that statement, calling it “good advice” to cool off, his initial threat sent shockwaves through the aerospace industry. The Dragon capsule is central to U.S. crewed spaceflight under a $5 billion NASA contract and currently serves as the only American vehicle transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS).
SpaceX holds approximately $22 billion in government contracts, including missions with both NASA and the Pentagon. The prospect of politically motivated cancellations could seriously undermine U.S. space ambitions, experts warn.
The spat has also fractured a once-cozy relationship between Musk and Trump, which had previously led to favorable policy shifts for SpaceX - ranging from Mars mission proposals to expanded military launch access.
NASA declined to comment directly on the matter. Spokesperson Bethany Stevens stated only that the agency would “continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the president’s objectives in space are met.”
If SpaceX were to pull the Dragon from service, it could disrupt international collaboration aboard the ISS, a cornerstone of space diplomacy.
Two Palestinians were killed on the first day of Ramadan after Israeli forces opened fire in the Gaza Strip, according to local sources and hospital o...
Qarabağ FK are facing Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League play-off round on Wednesday evening in Baku, in what will be the first UEFA compe...
Aghdam’s Qarabag experienced a 6–1 defeat to England’s Newcastle United in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie....
British Steel has secured a multi-million-pound order to supply rail for a major high-speed railway in Türkiye. Backed by UK Export Finance, the deal...
AnewZ Talks returns with a new season, recorded at the Faculty of Arts at Garabagh University, in the city of Khankendi, Azerbaijan....
Two Palestinians were killed on the first day of Ramadan after Israeli forces opened fire in the Gaza Strip, according to local sources and hospital officials.
Qarabağ FK are facing Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League play-off round on Wednesday evening in Baku, in what will be the first UEFA competition meeting between the two clubs.
Aghdam’s Qarabag experienced a 6–1 defeat to England’s Newcastle United in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie.
A new freight corridor linking China with Tajikistan via Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan has entered pilot operation, marking another step in Central Asia’s expanding transport connectivity.
Cuba’s fuel crisis has turned into a waste crisis, with rubbish piling up on most street corners in Havana as many collection trucks lack enough petrol to operate.
Ruben Vardanyan has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Baku Military Court after being found guilty of a series of offences including war crimes, terrorism and crimes against humanity.
Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced on 16 February that the Honourable Janice Charette has been appointed as the next Chief Trade Negotiator to the United States. She's been tasked with overseeing the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
The Pentagon has threatened to designate artificial intelligence firm Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” amid a dispute over the military use of its Claude AI model, according to a report published Monday.
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed two people in 12 hours, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
A platoon of Swedish Air Force Rangers is training in Greenland as part of the ongoing “Arctic Endurance” exercise, according to Sweden’s military.
U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva ended after two days of negotiations that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as difficult, while signalling progress on the military track.
Millions of Muslims around the world have begun observing Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and the most sacred period in Islam.
Foreign intelligence services are able to see messages sent by Russian soldiers using the Telegram messaging app, Russia's minister for digital development Maksud Shadayev said on Wednesday, the Interfax news agency reported.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in a high-profile trial in Los Angeles examining claims that the company’s platforms contributed to youth addiction and mental health harm.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment