Musk confirms SpaceX will not decommission Dragon

Elon Musk has backed down from his threat to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft that ferries cargo and people to the International Space Station for the U.S. Musk’s move comes amid an escalating feud between him and President Donald Trump that has seen the duo have a heated exchange online.

Dragon is SpaceX’s spacecraft responsible for sending astronauts and cargo to orbit. The firm has billions of dollars in contracts with NASA to send the agency’s astronauts on periodic trips to and from the ISS. It is meant to maintain its presence at the space station until its retirement by the end of 2030.

Trump-Musk feud jeopardizes SpaceX’s services

The Tech billionaire vowed to decommission the spacecraft after Trump threatened to pull governmental contracts from his SpaceX and Starlink satellite services.

Musk initiated the feud by bashing the President’s tax bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination.” He also argued that the legislation would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

Just hours later, the Tesla CEO responded to a user named Alaska on X who said the back and forth between the duo was a shame and urged Musk to cool off and take a step back. Musk acknowledged the advice and revealed that he won’t decommission Dragon.

“A rogue CEO threatening to decommission spacecraft, putting astronaut’s lives at risk, is untenable.”

-Lori Garver, Former Deputy Administrator at NASA.  

Before Musk’s threats, SpaceX had previously used Dragon to fly six private astronaut missions, either to fly freely in orbit or visit the International Space Station. The company also plans to launch another private astronaut mission on Dragon as soon as June 10, in partnership with Axiom Space, sending four civilians to the ISS.

SpaceX’s spokesperson Bethany Stevens said NASA will continue executing the President’s vision and working with its industry partners.

Musk’s threat to decommission Dragon would leave NASA in a significant bind regarding its space station program. The spacecraft is the only operational U.S. vehicle for sending astronauts to the space station, despite relying on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft to periodically launch NASA astronauts. The vehicle is one of the main options for keeping the space station stocked with food and supplies.

Trump had criticized the tech billionaire’s spending preferences and withdrew backing for billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman, accusing him of being “totally Democrat.” Trump also claimed that cutting federal funding to Musk’s ventures would save “billions and billions of dollars.”

SpaceX depends on Dragon for space travel

The company responsible for the U.S.’s civil space program has another vehicle option for sending crew to the space station in Boeing’s Starliner. After suffering a botched test flight in 2024 that left two astronauts on the ISS for months longer than planned, NASA has not yet certified the spacecraft for carrying astronauts. 

NASA tasked SpaceX with bringing home the astronauts on a Dragon craft due to the engine issues with Starliner. Musk’s company is also under contract with NASA to create a Dragon-like vehicle to guide the ISS out of orbit, but it’s still unclear whether those plans stand.

SpaceX launched its first crew for NASA in 2020, which marked the first orbital flight by a private company. The firm also reduced NASA’s costly dependence on Russian Gumman for cargo deliveries.

Elon’s Starship rocket is NASA’s choice to ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon’s surface during upcoming Artemis missions. Despite that, last week’s ninth test flight ended in a crash after the spacecraft tumbled out of control over Texas.

Musk’s company has also launched multiple science missions for NASA and military equipment for the Pentagon. His threat to decommission Dragon could jeopardize around $22 billion in government contracts that cover key NASA and Pentagon projects. 

SpaceX has about $15 billion secured for Falcon 9 and Starship launches, along with Pentagon satellite missions. The firm also reported that it is developing a classified U.S. intelligence satellite network and a military version of Starlink called Starshield.

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